Jundajf-Jchool 
OrganlzatiQn 

and  Methods 


cnikm,  ssoAi^s 


V 


^^ 


*  FEB  5  1907 


BV  1520  .R64  1905 
Roads,  Charles,  1855- 
Sunday-school  organization 
and  methods 


Sunday-School 
Organization  and  Method; 


"By 

CHAS.  ROADS,  D.  D. 

Recently  General  Secretary  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  Sunday-school 

Association,  and  General  Field  Worker  of  the  Sunday-school 

Union  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 

Author  of 
"Teacher-training  for  the  Sunday-school,"   "The  Fifth 
Gospel,  by  Paul,"  "Christ  Enthroned  in  the  Indus- 
trial World,"  "  Little  Children  in  the  Church 
OF  Christ,"   "Manual  for  Grading" 

INTRODUCTION 

By 

REV.  CHARLES  J.  LITTLE,  A.  M. 

President  Garrett  Biblical  Institute 


CINCINNATI  :    JENNINGS   AND    GRAHAM 
NEW   YORK:    EATON    AND    MAINS 


COPYRIGHT,  190S,  BY 
JENNINGS  AND  GRAHAM 


THE    SUNDAY-SCHOOL 
WORKER'S  LIBRARY. 

A  FEW  PRACTICAL  HELPS. 

I.  Text-books  for  Study. 

1.  Revised  Normal  Lessons, By  Dr.  Hurlbut 

2.  Teacher  Training  in  the  Sunday-school, 

By  Dr.  Roads. 

3.  Seven  Laws  of  Teaching,  ...  By  Dr.  J.  M.  Gregory. 

4.  Supplemental  Lessons, By  Dr.  Hurlbut. 

5.  Normal  Books,  .    .  By  Dr.  Hamill  and  Geo.  W.  Pease. 

6.  Grades  and  Studies  in  the  Sunday-school, 

By  Dr.  Neely. 

II.  For  Reading  and  Reference. 

7.  Teaching  and  Teachers,  .  .  By  Dr.  H.  Clay  Trumbull. 

8.  The  Child's  Religious  Life, 

By  Rev.  W.  G.  Koons,  Ph.  D. 

9.  Sunday-school  Success, By  Amos  R.  Wells. 

10.  Timothy  Stand-by  (Humorous),  By  Dr.  Joseph  Clark. 

11.  The  Boy  Problem, By  Dr.  W.  B.  Forbush. 

12.  Sunday-school  Movements  in  America, .  .  By  Brown. 

13.  Seven  Graded  Sunday-schools, By  Hurlbut. 

14.  The  Modern  Sunday-school, ...  By  Bishop  Vincent. 

15.  How  to  Make  the  Sunday-school  Go,  ...  By  Brewer. 

16.  Great  Truths  Simply  Told,  .  .    .    .By  Geo.  W.  Weed. 

17.  Hints  on  Child  Training, By  Dr.  Trumbull. 

18.  Lessons  from  the  Desk,  .   .  By  Rev.  Harold  Kennedy. 

19.  The  Organized  Sunday-school, By  Axtell. 

20.  Pastoral  Leadership  of  Sunday-school  Forces, 

By  Dr.  Schauffler. 
3 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter.  Page. 

I.  Probi^kms  and  Possibii^ities, 13 

II.  EdUCATIONAI,  DEVEI.OPMENT  OF  THE  SUNDAY- 

SCHOOI., 30 

III.  The  Psychoi^ogicai,  Basis  of  Grading,    .   .     39 

IV.  Teacher  Training  Made  Practical,,  ....     48 
V.  The  Lesson  Courses, 56 

Appendix — Illustrative  Studies. 

1.  Christ  the  Modei.  Teacher, 67 

2.  Pedagogicai,  Study  of  Christ  Teaching  at 

Jacob's  WeivI., 75 

3.  Pedagogicai.  Study  of  Christ  Teaching  on 

THE  Way  to  Bmmaus, 83 

4.  PSYCH01.0GY  in  the  Parabi^e  of  the  Sower,       89 

5.  Diagram  of  the  Graded  Sunday-Schooi,,  .   .      95 

6.  A  Study  in  Statistics, 103 

7.  The  Success  of  Some  Great  Sunday-Schooi,s,  106 


PREFACE. 


The  substance  of  this  discussion  of  Sunday- 
school  organization  and  methods  was  given  in 
courses  of  lectures  to  the  theological  students  of 
Garrett  Biblical  Institute  and  of  the  Boston  School 
of  Theology,  to  Sunday-school  teachers  and  su- 
perintendents in  several  Chautauquas,  and  in 
many  Institutes  in  twenty  or  more  States  of  the 
Union.  Many  requests  for  the  publication  of 
these  suggestions  and  descriptions  of  actual  re- 
sults achieved  have  come  from  the  persons  who 
heard  them  from  the  platform.  The  Dean  of  the 
Boston  University  School  of  Theology  writes  of 
the  lectures  he  heard,  now  given  in  a  form  more 
suitable  for  reading  and  reference,  in  the  follow- 
ing appreciation : 

''In  the  spring  of  1904  a  course  of  lectures 
was  delivered  by  Dr.  Roads  before  the  student 
body  of  the  School  of  Theology  of  Boston  Uni- 
versity on  Sunday-school  Methods.  It  was  felt 
that  the  increased  stress  which  is  being  placed  in 
the  Church  at  large  upon  the  function  of  religious 
training  would  make  a  fundamental  and  suggest- 
ive treatment  of  such  a  theme  exceedingly  valu- 
able to  those  in  preparation  for  the  responsible 
office  of  pastors  and  teachers.  The  lectures  were 
7 


8  PREFACE. 

found  to  correspond  to  the  demands  of  the  highly 
important  theme,  and  were  listened  to  with  great 
interest  and  satisfaction. 

*'A  noticeable  feature  was  the  amount  of  con- 
crete illustration  and  proof  which  was  brought  to 
the  support  of  the  theories  that  were  given  favor- 
able consideration.  It  is  to  be  esteemed  a  matter 
for  sincere  congratulation  to  the  great  company 
of  Sunday-school  workers  that  an  opportunity  to 
peruse  these  lectures  is  now  afforded. 

''Henry  C.  Sheldon." 

The  students  of  Garrett  Biblical  Institute,  at 
Evanston,  Illinois,  at  the  close  of  the  week's 
course  of  Sunday-school  lectures,  took  for  them 
the  unusual  action  of  presenting  resolutions  of 
thanks.  They  are  so  discriminating  as  to  be 
worthy  of  record: 

We,  the  students  of  Garrett  Biblical  Institute,  hav- 
ing heard  with  much  pleasure  and  great  profit  the  series 
of  lectures  given  in  this  school  by  Dr.  Chas.  Roads,  Field 
Secretary  for  the  Sunday-school  Union  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  desire  to  express  by  resolution  our 
hearty  appreciation  of  his  earnestness,  his  comprehen- 
sive view  of  the  problems  of  the  Sunday-school,  and  the 
thoroughly  practical  nature  of  his  suggestions  toward 
improvement  in  methods  and  work. 

It  is  confidently  hoped,  because  this  book  is 

so  largely  a  record  of  actual  achievements  by 

many  workers  in  the   Sunday-school  field,  that 

it  will  prove  helpful  and  inspiring  to  many  more. 

New  York,  January,  1905.  ^'  ^* 


INTRODUCTION. 

The:  lectures  that  formed  the  basis  of  this 
brief  book  were  first  heard  by  me  at  a  Sunday- 
school  Assembly  in  South  Dakota.  Their  sanity 
and  simplicity,  their  lucidity  and  intelligence  so 
delighted  me  that  I  urged  Dr.  Roads  to  deliver 
them  to  the  students  of  Garrett.  This  he  did  to 
the  great  advantage  and  satisfaction  of  the  Semi- 
nary. 

The  author  unites  the  experience  of  a  very 
skillful  and  successful  teacher  with  that  of  a 
large-minded  and  consecrated  pastor;  he  knows 
a  model  school  when  he  sees  one,  and  also  a  model 
Church ;  hence  the  reports  of  his  observations  and 
his  comments  upon  them  carry  unusual  weight. 
He  has  more  than  experience;  he  has  a  trained 
intelligence.  Without  ostentation  of  expert 
knowledge,  or  obtrusive  repetition  of  undried 
theories,  or  theories  of  any  kind,  he  reveals  in 
every  chapter  the  thoughtful  and  independent 
student  of  psychology,  especially  in  its  application 
to  the  art  of  teaching.  And  he  has,  moreover, 
the  large  view  of  the  pastoral  calling  which  makes 
him  an  inspiring  guide  for  the  ministers  of  the 
twentieth  century. 

9 


lO  INTRODUCTION. 

There  is  nothing  new  in  the  vaunted  discovery 
that  youth  is  the  accepted  time  for  reHgious  in- 
struction; this  is  a  very  old  and  a  very  obvious 
truth.  Moses  charged  Joshua  "that  the  children 
which  had  not  known  should  hear  the  words  of 
the  law  and  learn  to  fear  the  Lord  their  God." 
The  rite  of  confirmation  in  Catholic  and  many 
Protestant  Churches  has  borne  witness  for  cen- 
turies to  the  same  belief  in  the  largest  sections  of 
Christendom.  There  is  something  grotesque  in 
the  proclamation  as  a  discovery  of  "the  new  psy- 
chology" that  adolescence  is  the  epoch  of  decision. 
Moses  and  Plato,  Luther  and  Loyola,  Rousseau 
and  Wesley  assumed  this  as  an  axiom  of  educa- 
tion. 

But  how  to  guide  the  child  or  the  adolescent 
to  right  and  wise  decision  is  a  problem  older  than 
the  Choice  of  Hercules  or  the  Choice  of  Moses. 
In  other  words,  the  serious  task  is  to  determine 
the  range  and  the  limits  and  the  proper  methods 
of  moral  and  religious  instruction. 

The  Sunday-school  has  been  left  to  develop 
itself;  there  has  been  all  too  little  consideration 
of  its  problems  and  its  possibilities.  The  individ- 
ual Churches  have  been  sinfully  slow  to  appre- 
ciate the  importance,  the  difficulties,  the  perils  of 
Sunday-school  work,  and  the  grandeur  of  its 
promise  to  consecrated  and  energetic  intelligence. 
There  have  been  indeed,  as  Dr.  Roads  points  out, 


INTRODUCTION,  II 

some  splendid  exceptions;  but  these  reveal,  by 
glaring  contrast,  the  inadequate  methods  and  the 
intellectual  poverty  of  the  great  majority.  And  it 
can  not  be  pleaded  that  this  lack  of  method  and 
this  mental  weakness  are  atoned  for  by  super- 
abundant spiritual  power,  for  it  is  not  so.  There 
is  a  vast  difference  between  the  terms  spiritually- 
minded  and  mentally  slothful;  the  former  serve 
and  love  God  with  all  the  mind  and  are  eager  to 
discover  the  best  methods  of  doing  His  work. 

Methodists  surely  should  not  rebel  at  the  sug- 
gestion of  better  methods ;  the  revival,  from  which 
they  derive  their  name  and  their  organizations, 
was  notable  for  its  methods  of  religious  training. 
Its  great  leader  differed  from  Whitefield  and  other 
contemporaries  because  he  deserved  and  glorified 
by  his  intelligent  operations  the  name  that  his 
enemies  fastened  upon  him  as  a  reproach.  He 
was  always  sure  of  his  goal ;  and  always  hunting 
for  the  fittest  and  promptest  means  to  reach  it. 
Dr.  Roads's  ideal  of  the  Sunday-school  is  not 
vague  and  nebulous;  he  would  strengthen  and 
enlarge  its  spiritual  influence;  but  he  would  en- 
large its  scope  also,  making  it  both  evangelistic 
and  ethical,  a  place  of  decision  and  a  place  of  de- 
velopment, a  place  where  Christ  is  accepted,  and 
a  place  where  the  mind  of  Christ  is  studied  in  its 
many  applications  to  modern  conditions. 

Here  as  elsewhere  a  vital  and  inevitable  ques- 


12  INTRODUCTION. 

tion  is  How^  and  Dr.  Roads  strengthens  his  reply 
by  showing  that  what  he  suggests  has  been  al- 
ready achieved. 

There  be  many  that  love  routine,  not  to  say 
ruts.  They  waste  much  energy  in  defending  poor 
habits  and  resisting  all  improvements  as  depar- 
tures from  ''the  old  paths."  They  love  the  cheap 
and  hate  the  costly,  and  by  their  niggardly  pro- 
visions defeat  the  purpose  of  the  institutions  that 
they  control.  Managers  like  these  in  charge  of 
Sunday-schools  will  not  like  this  book. 

There  be  those  also  who  are  enamored  of  the 
newest  newnesses  and  who  would  transform  the 
Sunday-school  into  a  tumbling  ground  for  re- 
ligious and  moral  acrobats,  into  an  exhibition  of 
all  sorts  of  theological  and  ethical  novelties. 
These  will  have  no  pleasure  in  Dr.  Roads. 

There  are,  however,  earnest  spiritual  minds 
that  recognize  the  gravity  and  the  majesty  of  the 
Sunday-school  problem,  and  who  are  eager  to  at- 
tack it  with  intelligence  and  patience ;  these  are 
reading  with  sane  and  docile  minds  whatever  is 
written  seriously  by  ''those  that  know,"  "proving 
all  things"  as  they  read  and  "holding  fast  to  that 
which  is  good."  There  are,  I  feel  sure,  enough 
of  them  to  give  Dr.  Roads  a  fit  audience  and  a 
large  one.  Charles  J.  Little:. 

GARRETT  BIBLICAL  INSTITUTE, 

February  i8,  ipoj. 


CHAPTER  I. 
PROBLEMS  AND  POSSIBILITIES. 

The:  Sunday-school  in  every  denomination  of 
Christendom  is  becoming  the  next  great  enthusi- 
asm of  the  Church.  Educational  leaders  and  pas- 
tors are  discussing  courses  of  Bible  study  for  it, 
and  Sunday-school  workers  are  manifesting  a 
responsibility  and  desire  for  larger  results  in 
Bible  knowledge  and  character.  Probably  no 
movement  of  the  Church  presents  so  many  prob- 
lems, and  all  of  them  fundamental.  We  first 
discuss  eight  or  ten  of  these  problems  in  brief 
suggestiveness  for  a  comprehensive  view. 

I.  First,  the  Problem  of  Sunday-school  Archi- 
tecture. 

What  kind  of  a  building  will  now  adequately 
serve  our  organized  Sunday-school?  Shall  we 
accept  as  the  final  model  the  "easy  separateness" 
and  "ready  togetherness"  of  the  well-known  and 
widely  adopted  Akron  plan?  Or  is  it  desirable 
to  have  entire  separation  of  all  the  departments 
for  the  whole  session,  so  that  we  shall  have  a 
group  of  schools  wholly  distinct  ?  Many  interest- 
ing experiments  are  now  projected  and  in  oper- 
ation; and,  serving  you  rather  as  reporter  than 

13 


14  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

theorist,  let  me  briefly  outline  a  few  of  the  types 
of  buildings. 

The  Akron  scheme  is  that  of  a  large  single 
room  with  folding-door  class  apartments,  usually 
in  two  tiers  on  the  sides  and  rear.  Two  of  these 
apartments  usually  are  larger  than  the  rest,  and 
are  occupied  respectively  by  the  Primary  and 
the  next  higher  departments.  The  central  body 
of  the  main  room  is  given  to  the  boys  and  girls, 
divided  into  small  classes,  and  the  rear  and  the 
side  apartments  remaining  to  young  men,  young 
women,  and  adult  classes.  Opening  exercises  are 
common  to  the  whole  school  with  every  room 
open.  The  teaching  is  separate,  and  is  followed 
by  review  and  closing  exercises  in  common. 

The  Separated  Primary  Department  is  the 
next  type  of  building.  Here  the  Httle  children 
are  entirely  apart  from  the  rest  during  the  whole 
session.  They  have  their  opening  worship  spe- 
cially adapted  to  childhood,  and  all  their  work 
more  strictly  graded.  In  the  main  school  this 
makes  possible  a  more  dignified  and  enriched  wor- 
ship for  opening  and  closing,  which  will  hold  the 
ambitious  boy  and  youth. 

The  Departmental  Sunday-school  Building  is 
a  still  further  evolution  of  the  strict  grading  and 
adaptation  of  teaching.  In  this  type  there  are 
entirely  separate  rooms  for  the  smallest  children 
called  Beginners,  for  the  Primary  from  about  six 
to  eight  years  of  age,  for  the  boys  from  eight  to 


AND  METHODS.  1 5 

thirteen,  and  for  the  girls  of  that  period ;  separate 
rooms  for  young  men's  and  young  women's 
classes,  and  an  assembly  room  for  the  advanced 
classes ;  usually  four  or  five  large  rooms  and  very 
many  smaller  subdivisions.  In  such  schools  there 
are  really  distinct  organizations  for  each  depart- 
ment, though  under  one  general  management, 
and  specialized  work  for  each  grade  most  fully 
developed. 

2.  The  next  Problem  is  that  of  the  Sunday- 
school  Field. 

Who  are  to  be  included  in  the  school?  For 
what  classes  shall  we  plan,  and  how  far  shall  our 
efforts  at  ingathering  extend  ?  We  have  long  ago 
passed  the  conception  of  the  Sunday-school  as  a 
meeting  for  children,  though  the  unfortunate 
phrase,  "the  nursery  of  the  Church,"  will  prob- 
ably long  be  used  by  belated  convention  speakers, 
and  the  good  visitor  begin  his  address,  "Dear 
children !"  The  Sunday-school  is  the  most  com- 
prehensive of  all  Church  services.  All  the  Church 
is  to  be  in  the  Sunday-school,  and  then  it  will  be 
comparatively  easy  to  have  all  the  Sunday-school 
in  the  Church  services.  The  ideal  is  reached  in 
some  Churches  where  the  Sunday-school  is  "the 
Bible  studying  service  of  the  Church,"  and  is 
ranked  with  morning  preaching  and  worship.  Its 
comprehensiveness  is  shown  as  it  begins  with  the 
Cradle  Roll  for  the  infants  as  soon  as  their  names 
can  be  secured,  making  the  real  "Infant  Class" 


l6  SUNDAY-SCHOOL    ORGANIZATION 

of  those  as  yet  unable  to  attend ;  then  the  ''Begin- 
ners," from  three  to  six  years  of  age ;  the  Primary, 
to  nine  years;  the  next  department  to  thirteen; 
the  youths  to  sixteen;  and  the  adults  beyond  to 
include  every  member  of  the  Church  and  every 
man  and  woman  in  the  community.  The  ingath- 
ering is  now  prosecuted  by  house-to-house  visit- 
ing, which  plans  not  to  miss  a  single  person,  or, 
better  still,  by  an  organized  occupation  of  the 
entire  field,  divided  into  blocks  in  continuous 
charge  of  earnest  workers,  and  regularly  visited 
and  watched.  Only  such  a  complete  searching 
of  every  home  and  every  street  and  road  in  city 
and  country  reaches  Christ's  command  to  take 
His  Gospel  to  every  creature,  and  to  teach  them 
all  things  He  commanded.  The  value  of  it  is 
shown  by  a  story  related  by  an  old  lady  who  felt 
moved  in  her  early  Christian  life  to  visit  the 
Smith,  family  in  Palmyra,  New  York,  but  who 
timidly  postponed  doing  it,  and  finally  neglected 
it.  She  says,  *'One  of  the  family  was  Joseph 
Smith,  then  a  little  child,  afterward  the  founder 
of  Mormonism."  That  young  woman  had  the 
whole  Mormon  question  in  her  hand,  and  might 
have  saved  this  country  the  awful  stench  and  evils 
of  Mormonism.  And  Joseph  Smith,  saved,  might 
have  become  an  earlier  Moody  or  a  John  Wesley. 
Think  of  the  greatness  of  our  Sunday-school's 
yet  unoccupied  field!  Only  17  per  cent  of  the 
population  of  America  are  yet  enrolled  in  all  its 


AND  METHODS.  1 7 

Sunday-schools;  yet  some  States,  like  Pennsyl- 
vania, have  24  per  cent,  though  others,  like  Massa- 
chusetts, only  12  per  cent.  Some  counties,  like 
Snyder,  Union,  Northumberland,  and  others  in 
Pennsylvania,  have  60,  50,  nearly  40  per  cent  of 
their  population ;  some  towns  have  80  per  cent. 

3.  The  third  Problem  I  mention  is  the  Rela- 
tion of  the  Sunday-school  to  the  Church's  Sun- 
day services. 

The  Sunday-school  may  be  held  before  the 
morning  preaching  service,  as  it  is  in  many 
Churches,  from  9.30  o'clock  to  10.30  or  10.45 
o'clock,  the  preaching  service  beginning  at  11 
o'clock.  This  is  better  than  to  crowd  it  into  that 
part  of  an  hour  between  the  close  of  the  morning 
service  and  one  o'clock  afternoon.  But  Sunday 
morning  is  not  the  best  time  in  which  to  build  up 
a  great  and  worthy  Sunday-school.  This  hour 
before  Church  service  excludes  most  of  the 
mothers  from  the  school,  because  they  are  unable 
to  complete  the  round  of  household  duties  in  time. 
The  morning  hour  will  secure  very  few  of  the 
working  men  or  the  hard-driven  merchants  or 
professional  men.  They  will  not  rise  on  Sunday 
as  early  as  usual,  and  will  not  in  any  large  num- 
bers get  ready  for  service  by  9  o'clock.  The  hour 
is  also  objectionable  because  it  crowds  the  preach- 
ing service,  and  constitutes,  in  connection  with 
that,  a  very  long,  continuous  service,  which  many 
will  not  attend  from  first  to  last.    Besides,  it  pre- 


1 8  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

eludes  all  after  services  of  the  school,  either  as 
conferences  of  teachers  for  some  pressing  subject 
or  as  evangelistic  services  for  the  scholars.  Still 
more  objectionable  is  the  Sunday-school  immedi- 
ately following  the  morning  preaching.  The 
great  body  of  the  school  does  not  come  in  time 
for  the  preaching,  but  gathers  as  the  first  service 
nears  its  close,  and  in  turn  the  attendants  on  the 
first  service  will  not  tarry  for  the  Sunday-school. 
The  sad  sight  which  is  witnessed  in  Churches 
where  the  Sunday-school  is  held  before  preaching 
of  a  great  procession  of  children  turning  down 
the  street  instead  of  into  the  preaching,  has  its 
counterpart  where  schools  are  held  after  preach- 
ing in  great  crowds  of  fathers  and  mothers  turn- 
ing down  the  street  instead  of  into  the  Sunday- 
school.  Which  is  the  worse  for  the  present  or  for 
the  future,  who  can  tell  ? 

No  one  can  question  that  the  earnest  purpose 
of  the  great  body  of  Sunday-school  workers  of 
the  land  is  to  give  the  Sunday-school  the  best  op- 
portunity for  its  work;  hence  the  fundamental 
importance  of  its  adjustment  to  all  the  Sunday 
services  of  the  Church. 

In  practical  experience  the  best  time  for  the 
Sunday-school  is  from  2  o'clock  or  2.30  in  the 
afternoon  to  4  o'clock.  It  is  true  there  are  great 
and  growing  Sunday-schools,  not  a  large  num- 
ber, however,  which  meet  in  the  early  morning, 
and  we  know  of  admirable  and  successful  schools 


AND  METHODS.  1 9 

meeting  at  the  noon  hour.  In  small  country 
schools,  and  under  other  peculiar  circumstances, 
there  is  no  other  time  available  than  that  in  con- 
nection with  the  preaching  service. 

But  in  the  Sunday-schools  of  villages,  towns, 
and  of  cities  especially,  there  is  no  time  which 
furnishes  the  opportunity  that  the  middle  of  Sun- 
day afternoon  does.  Then,  after  a  leisurely  noon 
meal,  the  whole  family  can  attend ;  then  the  school 
may  begin  with  a  full  attendance  and  without 
crowding  any  other  service ;  may,  when  special 
interest  renders  it  desirable,  prolong  the  session 
ten  or  fifteen  minutes;  then  the  Bible-school  will 
stand  out  as  a  great  service  of  the  Lord's-day 
and  not  as  the  prelude  or  afterlude  of  another 
service  which  it  crowds  into  too  great  brevity  or 
renders  wearisome  by  its  previous  interest. 

The  three  Sunday  services,  then,  would  stand 
out  in  distinctness  and  remain  uncrowded;  the 
morning  worship  and  preaching  from  10.30  to 
12  o'clock  having  full  time  for  orderly  and  restful 
worship  and  a  reasonable  time  for  the  Gospel 
message.  How  unseemly  the  rush  of  this  service 
if  pressed  into  the  hour  or  a  little  more  between 
eleven  and  noon !  Then,  too,  the  entire  family, 
after  a  longer  rest  than  on  week-days,  and  a 
social,  unhurried  breakfast  and  home  worship, 
can  repair  to  the  morning  preaching.  This  stands 
apart  as  the  only  morning  service,  and  at  its  close 
the  whole  family  returns  to  the  home,  the  noon 


20  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

lunch  is  prepared  and  enjoyed,  and  time  enough 
to  do  all  housework  by  the  family  without  hurry, 
before  2.30,  when  all  can  attend  the  Sunday- 
school  ;  then  returning  home  for  evening  meal 
and  the  Young  People's  service  and  Church  wor- 
ship of  the  evening. 

This  gives  the  home  as  much  time  for  its  social 
fellowship  on  the  Sabbath-day  as  any  other  ar- 
rangement. It  gives  the  long  morning  hours 
until  10.30.  It  allows  the  leisurely  noon  meal 
and  over  two  hours  intermission,  and  it  gives 
about  three  hours  after  the  school,  even  if  all  the 
family  return  to  the  evening  service. 

Objection  is  urged  on  behalf  of  the  Junior 
League,  usually  held  in  the  afternoon,  when  the 
Sunday-school  convenes  in  the  morning.  But 
practical  experience  once  more  shows  that  the 
children,  also,  should  have  a  mid-week  religious 
service,  and  the  Junior  meeting  after  day-school 
in  the  week  has  a  value  beyond  what  is  possible 
on  Sunday. 

The  Sunday  afternoon  Sunday-school  is  the 
rule  in  Pennsylvania  and  other  States  which  have 
by  far  the  largest  percentage  of  their  population 
enrolled  in  the  Sunday-school.  Taking  only  the 
States  which  contain  about  the  same  proportion 
of  Protestant  element  for  our  comparison,  we  find 
that  where  the  early  morning  schools  are  the  rule 
the  enrollment  is  from  15  to  18  per  cent  of  the 
population ;  in  States  where  the  noon  hour  school 


AND  METHODS.  21 

prevails,  it  ranges  from  12  per  cent  or  less  to  15 
per  cent  of  population;  while  in  the  States  in 
which  the  afternoon  session  is  the  rule  the  enroll- 
ment rises  to  22,  23,  or  24  per  cent  for  whole 
Commonwealths. 

Will  the  Sunday-school  people  attend  the 
Church  services  as  well  under  the  afternoon  ar- 
rangement? They  do  attend  in  larger  numbers 
where  any  effort  is  made  to  secure  their  presence. 
Is  it  wise  at  once  to  change  from  morning  school 
to  afternoon?  By  no  means.  There  must  be 
sufficient  discussion  to  show  some  of  the  real  ad- 
vantages of  the  change ;  there  should,  if  possible, 
be  a  united  change  of  all  the  schools  of  the  place, 
and  a  practical  unanimity  for  it  by  your  Sunday- 
school. 

4.  This  discussion  of  the  best  hour  suggests 
our  next  Problem,  which  is  the  Relation  of  the 
Sunday-school  to  the  Home, 

It  is  significant  of  the  real  progress  the  Sun- 
day-school is  now  making  that  this  difficult  phase 
is  receiving  fully  as  large  attention  as  any  other. 
The  duty  of  parental  religious  instruction  is  en- 
forced from  the  pulpit  and  in  our  periodicals 
more  fully,  the  co-operation  of  the  home  with  the 
Sunday-school  lessons  is  systematically  sought, 
and  at  least  two  Providential  Sunday-school 
movements,  the  Home  Department  and  the  Cradle 
Roll,  bear  directly  upon  this  need.  Inadvertently 
and  unintentionally,  but  none  the  less  really,  the 


22  SUNDAY-SCHOOL    ORGANIZATION 

Sunday-school  has  done  damage  to  home  religious 
teaching.  It  has  relieved  thoughtless  parents  of 
their  sense  of  responsibility,  and  concentrates 
greatest  attention  upon  the  school.  An  investi- 
gation in  many  Sunday-school  Conventions  shows 
that  very  few  teachers — about  three  to  six  out  of 
four  hundred — ever  have  parents  of  their  scholars 
express  any  appreciation  of  the  work  they  are 
doing,  or  ever  have  any  encouragement  from 
them;  that  many  parents  do  not  acquaint  them- 
selves with  the  teacher  who  is  doing  about  all 
the  religious  teaching  their  children  are  getting, 
and  that,  in  most  cases,  these  parents  strenuously 
object  when  the  good  teacher  has  brought  their 
children  to  know  Christ  and  to  be  ready  to  join 
His  Church.  The  relation  of  the  average  parent, 
even  though  a  professing  Christian,  to  the  real 
work  of  saving  his  child  and  training  in  godly 
character  as  the  Sunday-school  plans  to  do,  is 
that  of  strange  want  of  intelligent  co-operation, 
if  not  of  stupid  indifference  or  hindrance.  I  de- 
clare this  as  the  result  of  wide  investigation  in 
field  work  among  Sunday-school  teachers  and  offi- 
cers in  twenty  different  States  of  the  Union. 

When  right  relations  are  restored,  it  will  be 
the  parent  who  becomes  the  religious  teacher  pri- 
marily of  the  child.  The  Sunday-school  teacher 
will  be  the  intimate  fellow  teacher,  whose  work 
will  be  reviewed  every  Sunday  when  the  child 
comes  home,  and  whose  services  to  the  child  will 


AND  METHODS.  23 

be  recognized  and  highly  appreciated.  By  the 
Home  Department  all  the  parents  who  can  not  at- 
tend the  session  of  the  school  will  study  the  Uni- 
form Lesson,  and  Home  Study  Circles  on  the  les- 
son are  forming;  and  by  the  Cradle  Roll  the 
mother  heart  is  most  fully  reached  and  stirred  in 
spiritual  care  of  her  infant.  And  think  of  Home 
Departments  five  hundred  strong  in  a  single 
school,  and  Cradle  Rolls  of  three  hundred ! 

5.  The  Problem  of  the  Curriculum  of  the  Sun- 
day-school we  discuss  more  fully  later.  It  is 
sufficient  here  to  say  that  it  is  at  the  center  of 
things  which  make  for  effectiveness.  Let  us  say, 
rather,  that  courses  of  study  for  any  one  series 
of  lessons  can  not  cover  the  needs  of  the  Sunday- 
school.  The  best  schools  are  giving  both  a  topical 
and  an  expository  lesson  every  Sunday ;  the  top- 
ical to  accomplish  the  education  in  Bible  facts 
and  history,  and  the  expository  or  Uniform  Inter- 
national Lesson  to  present  the  moral  and  spiritual 
message  from  God.  There  are  now  many  such 
Sunday-schools,  and  they  produce  real  Bible  stu- 
dents in  the  English  Bible  with  thoroughness  and 
readiness  in  wide  information  concerning  its  con- 
tents. 

6.  What  is  the  Best  Possible  Organisation 
Educationally  of  the  Bible-school  of  the  Church? 

We  can  only  solve  this  problem  when  we  thor- 
oughly recognize  the  unique  character  and  place 
of  the   Sunday-school,  its  peculiar  and  difficult 


24  SUNDAY-SCHOOL    ORGANIZATION 

text-book  the  Bible,  its  untrained  volunteer  teach- 
ing force,  and  its  brief  once-a-week  session.  Yet 
an  organization  of  remarkable  helpfulness  has 
been  perfected  in  many  schools  fully  adapted  to 
Sunday-school  needs.  This  also  will  require  a 
fuller  discussion.  I  mention  it  here  simply  for 
the  sake  of  a  complete  outline  view.  Grading 
belongs  to  the  educational  organization,  but  is 
a  large  subject.  What  is  the  best  basis  upon 
which  to  grade  the  Sunday-school,  and  how  thor- 
oughly and  definitely  can  the  grades  be  main- 
tained ? 

7.  What  can  the  Sunday-school  do  in  Ethical 
Teaching  for  the  training  of  moral  character? 

In  a  large  and  systematic  sense  this  question 
is  quite  recent,  though  from  the  first,  to  be  sure, 
the  Sunday-school  aimed  at  character  and  life. 
Indirect  effort,  however,  or  such  development  of 
morals  as  will  come  incidentally  with  religious 
teaching,  is  now  felt  to  be  insufficient.  From  the 
long  confusion  upon  this  subject  some  principles 
are  emerging  into  distinctness.  In  the  first  place, 
we  now  know  that  moral  traits  must  be  culti- 
vated one  by  one,  each  distinctly  understood,  de- 
fined, and  uniquely  strengthened.  Secondly,  we 
know  that  it  is  by  action  and  exercise  that  moral 
traits  are  developed.  Thirdly,  we  distinguish 
training  from  teaching.  Training  is  to  signify 
the  actual  production  of  the  character  desired  by 
that  combining  of  instruction,  influencing,  stimu- 


AND  METHODS.  25 

lating  to  action  by  the  pupil's  personal  initiative, 
and  that  gentle  overseeing  and  guidance  which 
is  effective  but  not  subversive  of  the  pupil's  full 
freedom  and  responsibility. 

Here  is  the  teacher's  larger  work  which  over- 
flows into  the  whole  week.  By  seeking  such  con- 
tact at  every  convenient  time  with  the  pupil  as  will 
intensify  and  extend  the  influence  of  the  Sunday's 
work  and  lessons  this  training  is  to  be  accom- 
plished. It  is  being  accomplished,  as  I  am  glad 
to  be  able  to  report,  by  many  individual  teachers, 
and  in  not  a  few  great  schools  almost  by  every 
teacher.  How  blessed  will  be  the  Sunday-school 
when  everywhere,  in  a  systematic  and,  may  we 
not  hope,  a  scientific  way,  the  scholars  will  be 
trained  to  be  truthful,  honest,  faithful  to  every 
trust,  industrious,  gentle,  forgiving,  and  in  every 
relation  of  life  to  be  sanely  and  strictly  consci- 
entious ! 

8.  Closely  related  to  the  Bthical  Problem  is 
that  other  endeavor  now  being  deve^loped  in  many 
schools,  the  training  of  the  scholars  to  be  Church 
zi'orkers. 

Some  one  has  humorously  divided  the  average 
Church  into  workers,  shirkers,  and  jerkers. 
About  one-tenth  may,  by  some  stretch  of  charity, 
be  called  workers ;  but  this  one-tenth  will  include 
all  the  trustees,  class-leaders,  officers  of  Mission- 
ary Societies,  and  teachers  of  the  Sunday-school 
in  most  Churches.    Think  of  an  organization  with 


26  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

a  sublime  purpose  like  the  Church  of  Christ,  and 
only  one-tenth  of  it  working  at  all !  What  army 
could  win  battles  with  only  one-tenth  armed  and 
fighting?  What  factory  could  prevent  bank- 
ruptcy with  nine-tenths  standing  about  and  look- 
ing on  the  one-tenth  at  work  ?  Yet  there  are  wise, 
owlishly  wise  pastors,  who  think  the  Church  is 
overorganized !  If  the  absolutely  idling  nine- 
tenths  of  their  Church  should  come  in  a  body  to 
the  parsonage  and  ask  to  be  directed  to  some  defi- 
nite work  for  Christ  and  the  Church,  what  would 
this  pastor  give  them  to  do?  What  work,  not 
simply  individual,  but  in  connection  with  the 
Church  ? 

There  are  not  quite  nine-tenths  of  the  average 
Church  among  the  shirkers,  for  there  are  a  few 
jerkers.  These  last  the  pastor  must  have  in  mind, 
and  he  tries  to  provide  for  them  of  necessity  to 
his  and  the  Church's  peace;  but  the  shirkers 
should  appeal  no  less  to  his  earnest  soul. 

These  shirkers  are  a  great  concern  to  pro- 
gressive Sunday-school  teachers,  and  they  are 
planning  to  add  no  more  to  their  number,  but  to 
send  from  the  Sunday-school  into  the  Church  a 
great  company  of  intelligent,  eager-to-work,  and 
trained-to-work  Church  members.  So  they  are 
being  taught  the  history  and  doctrines  of  the 
Church,  the  benevolent  organizations  and  move- 
ments of  the  Church,  and  a  real  Christian  life. 
Scholars  are  trained  to  habits  of  Church  attend- 


AND  METHODS.  27 

ance,  habits  of  systematic  giving,  and  to  intelli- 
gent hearing  of  sermons.  As  your  reporter,  I 
must  say  we  are  only  in  the  beginnings  of  this 
movement;  but  it  is  spreading  rapidly,  and  is 
no  longer  a  theory,  but  a  practical  condition  of 
things  in  some  schools. 

9.  The  Sunday-school  is  the  greatest  evangel- 
istic agency  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 

How  to  have  this  opportunity  appreciated, 
and  how  to  utilize  it  richly,  are  problems  well  ad- 
vanced to  solution.  Let  us  see  at  least  five,  a 
handful  of  peculiar  advantages  for  winning  to 
Christ  found  in  the  Sunday-school,  (i)  It  is 
usually  that  meeting  of  the  Church  which  has  the 
largest  attendance.  (2)  It  has  the  largest  num- 
ber of  unsaved  people.  (3)  It  gathers  the  chil- 
dren and  young  people  who  are  easiest  to  be 
reached.  It  is  the  Church's  largest  and  ripest 
harvest-field.  (4)  It  is  that  meeting  which  has 
the  largest  number  of  personal  workers,  these 
workers  best  related  to  the  unsaved,  and  all  using 
the  Word  of  God,  which  is  the  Holy  Spirit's  ma- 
terial for  the  conviction  and  conversion  of  men. 
(5)  It  is  the  meeting  of  the  Church  which  can  be 
most  easily  and  largely  increased.  By  a  little 
enthusiasm,  by  much  house-to-house  visiting,  by 
occupying  the  whole  field,  and  by  wise  new  plans 
great  Sunday-schools  have  been  grown.  One 
school  numbers  over  three  thousand,  and  added 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  in  a  year ;  five  others  over 


28  SUNDAY-SCHOOL    ORGANIZATION 

two  thousand,  some  of  these  adding  three  to  six 
hundred  during  the  year;  about  forty  others  in 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  number  more 
than  a  thousand  each.  Aluch  of  this  great  in- 
crease came  in  two  years  as  the  result  of  one 
movement  of  the  Sunday-school  Union.  The 
plans  for  actually  harvesting  these  vast  fields  are 
no  longer  spasmodic.  Decision-day  is  not  sprung 
upon  the  school  and  only  disappointing  results 
secured,  but  it  is  prepared  for  wisely  during  many 
weeks  before.  Every  teacher's  deep  interest  is 
awakened  and  intensified ;  every  parent  is  sought 
to  be  reached  and  intelligently  prepared  to  co- 
operate ;  every  scholar  is  designated,  and  after 
weeks  of  meetings  by  teachers  and  parents  of  this 
character,  the  result  usually  follows  that  almost 
every  unsaved  scholar  deliberately  decides  to  fol- 
low Christ.  After  this  general  effort,  personal 
work  continues.  Many  teachers  now  plan  to  pre- 
sent Christ  upon  the  first  day  a  new  scholar  at- 
tends. They  find  there  is  no  better  time.  The 
new  scholar  expects  it.  Usually  he  will  yield  at 
once,  and  begin  a  Christian  life. 

Plans  for  the  little  ones  of  the  Beginners  and 
of  the  Primary  Department  are  another  problem 
still  more  fully  solved.  Nothing  is  more  beautiful 
in  Sunday-school  work  to-day  than  the  simple, 
sweet,  and  helpful  way  in  which  Jesus  is  presented 
to  very  little  children;  except  the  still  sweeter 
and  artless  way  these  little  ones  understand  the 
Savior  and  receive  Him. 


AND  METHODS.  29 

10.  But  among  the  many  Problems  of  the 
Bible-school  the  one  at  the  heart  of  its  power  is 
that  of  teacher  supply  and  teacher  training.  It 
may  be  regarded  as  too  optimistic  to  say  that, 
speaking  once  more  as  a  reporter,  this  also  is 
nearing  solution;  but  I  hope  to  show  that  there 
is  no  need  of  pessimism  concerning  it.  It  is  the 
most  important  of  all.  As  is  the  teacher  so  is  the 
school.  The  teacher  is  the  school,  its  atmosphere, 
its  attraction  if  it  has  any,  its  mightiest  influence, 
its  most  impressive  lesson.  What  we  put  into 
the  teacher  grows  like  leaven  to  fill  the  entire 
school. 

Of  special  problems  of  the  organized  Sunday- 
school  there  are  many  like  the  Boy  Problem,  how 
to  get  him  and  how  to  hold  him ;  the  question  of 
men's  classes,  now  so  splendidly  successful  where 
the  schools  are  planned  to  give  them  a  fair  oppor- 
tunity; the  Bible  in  the  school,  which  is  vital  to 
best  work;  the  business  organization,  which  is 
delightful  to  inspect  in  many  schools;  the  utiliz- 
ing of  special  days ;  and  the  matter  of  the  pas- 
toral leadership  of  the  school.  Especially  upon 
this  last  question  there  has  been  remarkable  prog- 
ress. But  upon  all  of  them  a  simple  review  of 
the  leading  Sunday-schools  in  all  the  Churches 
will  be  inspiring. 


CHAPTER  II. 

EDUCATIONAL  DEVELOPMENT 
OF  THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL. 

The  true  conception  of  the  place  and  purpose 
of  the  Sunday-school  constitutes  it  both  a  relig- 
ious meeting  and  a  real  school.  It  is  twofold  in 
scope  and  purpose.  It  should  always  maintain 
a  religious  atmosphere  and  be  a  time  for  prayer 
and  worship.  Any  educational  development 
which  will  eliminate  the  devotional  wholly  will  do 
harm  in  the  end.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
Sunday-school  which  is  only  another  spiritual 
service,  chiefly  singing,  prayer,  and  exhortation 
in  the  class,  and  review,  fails  to  reach  lasting  re- 
sults. 

We  begin  the  better  Sunday-school  when  we 
specialize  to  reach  both  of  these  results.  This  re- 
quires two  series  of  lessons  for  each  session.  For 
the  spiritual  purpose  of  the  school  we  use  the  Uni- 
form International  Lesson.  It  is  an  expository 
treatment  of  a  brief  passage  as  nearly  as  possible 
a  unit  of  truth.  And  expository  or  exegetical 
study  of  the  Scriptures  is  most  helpful  to  spiritual 
needs.  The  deeply  spiritual  of  the  Church  in  all 
ages  have  preferred  expository  sermonizing, 
30 


METHODS.  31 

They  follow  such  preaching  to-day  in  greatest 
crowds.  Any  arrangement  of  Bible  lessons  spe- 
cializing for  spiritual  helpfulness  will  naturally 
fall  into  such  a  system  as  the  International  series. 

But  the  International  Uniform  Lessons  are 
not  the  best  for  the  educational  purpose.  They 
do  not  present  the  contents  of  the  successive  books 
of  the  Bible  helpfully  for  thorough  study  and 
mastery,  nor  its  history  systematically,  nor  its 
range  of  doctrines  according  to  well-known  peda- 
gogical principles.  So  that  for  the  educational 
work  of  the  Sunday-school  there  must  be  ar- 
ranged another  series  of  Bible  lessons  on  a  work- 
able and  effective  method.  This  method  must  be 
topical,  not  textual  or  expository ;  for  the  topical 
is  the  logical  order,  and  the  plan  of  psychological 
growth  of  knowledge. 

Our  Sunday-school  becomes  a  school  when 
we  have  a  second  series  of  lessons  about  the  Bible 
and  its  contents  in  a  topical  form.  We  can  ar- 
range many  topics  for  a  six  or  eight  years'  course 
io  embrace  the  books  of  the  Bible,  classified,  ana- 
lyzed, logically  developed,  and  memorized;  to 
teach  the  history  in  course,  the  biography,  geog- 
raphy, ethics,  and  religious  system;  and  to  give 
in  forms  to  be  remembered  and  used  the  facts  and 
truths  of  the  whole  Bible.  For  educational  work, 
all  this  should  be  done  just  as  schools  and  colleges 
do  such  work.  If  it  be  thought  possible  to  mix 
religious   application  and   exhortation  all   along 


32  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

such  lessons,  and  thus  to  dispense  with  the  exposi- 
tory lesson,  it  is  enough  to  report  that,  from  wide 
experience,  we  do  not  get  the  educational  results, 
and  it  is  not  the  best  way  to  get  the  spiritual 
results.  As  a  reporter,  I  could  describe  nearly 
a  dozen  Sunday-schools  which  for  years  have 
worked  the  two-lesson  system  with  great  success. 
They  get  the  educational  result  of  scholars  fa- 
miliar with  the  history  and  contents  of  the  Bible 
and  able  to  pass  creditable  examinations  upon 
them,  and  by  continuing  the  Uniform  Expository 
Lessons  they  also  secure  the  spiritual  results. 

Then  must  be  added  a  system  of  real  recita- 
tions by  the  pupils.  Expression  by  the  pupil  is 
necessary  to  complete  the  impression  made  by 
the  teacher.  Expression  is  an  intense  form  of 
mental  activity,  far  more  so  than  mere  attention. 
An  old-time  teacher  said  to  his  boys,  "I  will  learn 
you  these  lessons."  But  even  the  dictionary  could 
have  shown  him  that  he  could  never  learn  another 
anything.  He  might  teach,  but  learning  is  the 
result  of  self-activity  by  the  student.  Hence,  the 
day  when  the  Sunday-school  introduces  real  reci- 
tation of  lessons  marks  the  beginning  of  genuine 
education  tbere.  The  recitation,  also,  is  a  test  of 
the  teacher's  work.  It  exhibits  the  scholar's  meas- 
ure of  understanding  and  retention.  This  is 
strikingly  shown  in  a  little  book  humorously  com- 
mended by  Mark  Twain  as  the  funniest  book  in 
the  English  language.    It  is  the  collection  of  ex- 


AND  METHODS,  33 

aminations  and  recitations  made  by  a  New  Yorl-: 
schoolteacher  during  many  years.  How  do  the 
boys  and  girls  understand  the  new  truths  and 
statements  we  so  carefully  give  to  them  in  public 
school  and  in  Sunday-school  ?  Hear  them  in  the 
public  school  after  very  careful  instruction  by  this 
teacher : 

What  is  Congress?  ''Congress  is  composed 
of  civilized,  half-civilized,  and  savage." 

What  is  a  demagogue?  *'A  vessel  filled  with 
beer,  whisky,  and  other  liquors." 

What  are  the  parts  of  the  human  system? 
"The  head,  the  thorax,  and  the  bowels,  and  the 
bowels  are  a,  e,  i,  o,  u,  and  sometimes  w  and  y." 

Here  are  some  sentences  and  definitions: 

''The  men  sent  by  the  Gas  Company  go  round 
and  speculate  the  meter." 

""They  had  a  strawberry  vestibule." 

"There  are  a  good  many  donkeys  in  the  the- 
ological gardens." 

"Mercenary,  one  who  feels  for  another." 

"Alias,  a  good  man  in  the  Bible." 

"Ipecac,  a  man  who  likes  a  good  dinner." 

"A  circle  is  a  round  straight  line  with  a  hole 
in  the  middle." 

"Climate  lasts  all  the  time,  and  weather  only 
a  few  days." 

There  are  a  hundred  pages  of  this  sort  of 
ridiculous  mistakes,  declared  to  be  bona  fide  by 
the  good  teacher,  Miss  Le  Row,  in  that  bright 
3 


34  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

book,  ''English  as  She  is  Taught."  They  illus- 
trate the  way  children  understand,  or  misunder- 
stand, new  lessons  given  to  them  and  the  impor- 
tance of  having  them  expressed  in  recitations  so 
that  they  may  be  corrected,  systematized,  and 
fully  memorized. 

In  precisely  the  same  way  our  Sunday-school 
instruction  is  misunderstood.  When  we  think  of 
the  strange  names  of  men  and  places,  the  extraor- 
dinary events  and  facts,  and  the  strange  surround- 
ings of  Oriental  lands  and  ancient  times,  the  won- 
der is  that  so  much  is  really  understood  in  Sun- 
day-school teaching.  We  are  now  having  parents 
question  their  children  when  they  return  from  the 
Sunday-school,  and  here  are  some  results  gath- 
ered by  a  few  workers : 

Golden  Texts  recited  by  children  upon  their 
return  from  Sunday-school : 

'It  is  awful  to  be  good  on  Sunday." 

"Hold  a  grater  to  Solomon's  ear."  (Behold 
a  greater  than  Solomon  is  here.) 

"Strong  drink  is  rising,  wine  in  a  monkey." 

"He  hath  made  us  to  be  meat  and  potatoes  to 
the  saints."  (He  hath  made  us  meet  to  be  par- 
takers with  the  inheritance  of  the  saints.) 

It  was  an  older  scholar  who  was  surprised  to 
learn  in  a  sermon  that  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  were 
not  man  and  wife  as  he  had  long  supposed.  The 
examination  of  some  college  men,  who  were  also 
Sunday-school   scholars,   is   a   remarkable   proof 


AND  METHODS,  35 

of  how  little  Sunday-school  teaching  has  meant 
without  recitations.  Out  of  thirty-four,  nine  did 
not  know  what  the  crown  of  thorns  means ;  six- 
teen were  ignorant  of  the  significance  of  striking 
the  rock ;  sixteen  knew  nothing  of  Jacob's  wrest- 
ling angel;  thirty-two  had  never  heard  of  the 
shadow  upon  Hezekiah's  dial ;  twenty-six  did  not 
know  of  Joshua's  moon ;  twenty-five  did  not  know 
the  fate  of  Lot's  wife ;  twenty-three  did  not  under-, 
stand  ''Arimathean  Joseph,"  and  so  on. 

In  another  examination  of  Sunday-school 
pupils,  out  of  forty-two,  not  one  could  name  the 
three  sons  of  Adam ;  no  one  could  correctly  name 
the  three  sons  of  Noah,  and  twenty-seven  did  not 
try ;  only  one  correctly  named  the  three  patriarchs 
from  whom  the  Jews  descended ;  only  three  could 
tell  who  led  the  Israelites  into  Canaan,  though 
twenty-five  knew  it  was  Moses  led  them  out  of 
Egypt;  only  seventeen  gave  the  first  four  books 
of  the  New  Testament  correctly ;  and  individual 
answers  to  well-known  questions  were  as  amus- 
ing in  ignorance  as  those  of  Miss  Le  Row's  little 
book. 

Acting  again  as  reporter  for  you,  I  can  give 
remarkable  instances  of  what  a  few  years  of 
recitations  in  Sunday-schools  will  achieve.  I  vis- 
ited a  Sunday-school  where  an  examination  of 
three  classes  of  boys,  twelve  years  of  age,  in  Old 
Testament  history  was  so  surprising  for  accuracy 
and  readiness  that  it  is  doubtful  whether  an  equal 


36  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

number  of  preachers  could  do  as  well.  In  another 
school  a  class  of  young  ladies,  sixteen  in  number 
and  about  sixteen  years  of  age,  drew  a  complete 
map  of  Paul's  missionary  journeys,  giving  outline 
and  details  of  each  province  visited  and  complete 
itinerary,  each  student  doing  it  in  turn.  Their 
proficiency  in  the  Life  of  Christ  and  in  Old  Testa- 
ment eras  was  equally  remarkable.  In  another 
school,  where  recitations  were  regular,  but  quar- 
terly and  annual  examinations  optional,  every 
scholar  of  the  five  hundred  regularly  asked  for 
the  examination  without  fail.  This  was  for  a 
period  of  five  years,  and,  in  addition,  every  pupil 
volunteered  some  extra  memorizing  to  secure 
stars  and  seals  on  the  diplomas  given.  These  are 
simply  specimens,  which  could  be  indefinitely  ex- 
tended. 

For  the  topical  lessons  little  booklets  are  usu- 
ally provided,  and  these  are  studied  during  the 
week  and  recited  first  in  the  school  session.  The 
spiritual  lesson  has  the  longer  time,  and  is  given 
last.  In  many  cases  the  first  lesson  has  eight  or 
ten  minutes ;  the  second,  twenty-five  or  thirty  min- 
utes. Judge  Hitchhock,  of  Chicopee  Falls,  Mass., 
has  issued  a  series  of  these  General  Lessons ;  Prof. 
Henry  A.  Strong,  of  Erie,  Pa.,  another ;  and  there 
are  others  like  Dr.  Hurlbut's  excellent  ''Supple- 
mental Lessons"  in  single  volumes,  which  have 
been  used,  A  large  and  practical  series  of  these 
lessons  is  being  prepared. 


AND  METHODS.  37 

The  boys  and  girls  will  not  object  to  this  real 
school-work  if  it  is  wisely  presented.  The  teach- 
ers who  are  lazy  and  object  should  be  left  behind 
while  the  procession  moves  on.  But  there  should 
be  wisdom  and  time  given  for  introducing  the 
general  lessons  and  the  recitations  into  any  par- 
ticular school. 

Charts,  blackboard  lessons,  graphic  reviews, 
concert  memorizing  whenever  possible,  and  all 
other  educational  devices  and  helps,  are  used  in 
these  advanced  schools  during  the  period  of  the 
General  Lessons.  Bible  analysis,  eras  of  Bible 
history,  geography  of  Bible  lands,  all  lend  them- 
selves easily  to  graphic  review  and  presentation, 
and  no  studies  of  any  sort  are  so  abounding  in 
interest  as  these  Bible  lessons. 

The  general  organization  of  the  Sunday-school 
must  be  adapted  to  this  richer  educational  work. 
One  fine  Sunday-school  has  a  "principal"  in  every 
department,  in  addition  to  the  superintendent, 
who  is  the  executive.  The  principal  is  specially 
in  charge  of  this  work.  He  coaches  the  teachers, 
examines  the  pupils  for  promotion,  and  develops 
further  lessons.  In  other  cases  an  assistant  su- 
perintendent leads  in  educational  plans  and  in 
complete  grading  of  the  school. 

This  brings  us  to  the  problem  of  a  simple  and 
thoroughly  adapted  grading  of  the  Sunday-school. 
We  will  consider  that  later,  but  mention  it  now  as 
fundamental  to  the  school  work. 


38  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

Periodical  examinations,  at  least  quarterly  and 
annually,  will  be  provided  for;  but  at  the  begin- 
ning it  is  well  to  make  these  optional  with  the 
pupils.  Let  your  plan  be  to  promote  on  term 
work  in  recitations  Sunday  after  Sunday,  but 
upon  examinations  asked  for  by  the  scholar  to 
grant  a  certificate  showing  the  percentage  at- 
tained. At  the  promotion  to  another  department, 
grant  a  diploma  of  tasteful  design. 

The  school  year  is  essential  to  the  best  work. 
Let  the  General  Lessons  begin  in  September,  and 
run  for  a  term  of  twelve  or  thirteen  weeks.  In- 
termit for  Christmas  holidays.  Then  begin  the 
second  term  in  January,  and  continue  to  Easter- 
tide ;  and  have  the  last  term  close  with  Children's- 
day  or  the  last  of  June.  Promotions  may  be  des- 
ignated after  the  June  term,  but  to  take  effect 
on  the  first  Sunday  of  September. 

Special  provision  ought  to  be  made  in  cities 
for  the  summer  months;  one  Sunday-school  or- 
ganized for  a  distinct  summer  school,  with  special 
exercises  and  lessons  in  addition  to  the  Uniform 
International  Lesson.  The  pupils  were  specially 
enrolled  for  this  summer  school,  and  the  officers 
report  the  plan  a  success.  It  is  not  well,  how- 
ever, to  attempt  the  large  educational  work  in 
cities  in  the  summer  months,  and  by  the  plan  of 
a  school  year  it  can  be  done  with  no  break  nor 
confusion. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE   PSYCHOLOGICAL  BASIS 
OF  GRADING. 

It  was  Horace  Mann  who  fought  the  battle 
for  grading  in  the  public  schools.  It  is  interest- 
ing to  observe  that  about  the  same  arguments 
were  used  against  him  that  are  so  familiar  to 
Sunday-school  people  to-day,  and  it  is  well  to 
remember  that  many  of  these  arguments  have 
much  of  truth  and  force.  Grading,  either  in  the 
public  schools  or  as  it  is  proposed  for  the  Sunday- 
school,  is  not  a  perfect  device  by  any  means.  It 
is  simply  the  best  possible  for  the  great  majority 
of  pupils. 

Horace  Mann  met  the  objection  that  the  un- 
graded school  was  the  natural  arrangement  for 
the  helpful  influencing  of  the  older  pupils  by  the 
smallest  children,  and  the  smallest  ones  by  the 
oldest.  In  many  of  the  ungraded  country  schools 
the  little  children  listened  to  the  recitations  day 
after  day  of  the  older  classes,  and  picked  up  a 
helpful  amount  of  knowledge  before  they  reached 
those  classes.  The  atmosphere  of  such  a  mixed 
school-room  might  be  far  more  stimulating  than 
that  of  the  average  primary  school,  where  only 

39 


40  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

little  ones  are  found,  and  lessons  are  all  in  their 
beginnings.  But  this  real  advantage  of  the  un- 
graded school  is  more  than  offset,  is  offset  many 
times  over,  by  the  specialized  ability  of  the  teacher 
confined  to  one  grade,  and  by  the  specialized  ap- 
pliances for  teaching  each  grade. 

Objections  on  part  of  the  teacher,  that  grad- 
ing would  deprive  of  the  pleasant  variety  of  many 
different  classes  v^hich  the  ungraded  school  fur- 
nishes, had  a  real  basis  of  truth.  Any  one  who, 
like  the  writer,  has  had  actual  experience  of  both 
a  large  ungraded  country  school  in  teaching,  and 
then  of  a  strictly  graded  primary,  and  afterward 
a  grammar  school  in  a  large  city,  knows  how 
natural  and  varied  the  ungraded  school,  and  how 
artificial  seems  the  graded  grammar  or  primary 
school.  How  pleasant  to  change  from  a  class 
of  very  little  ones  to  the  advanced  work,  and  vice 
versa!  But  such  an  experience  is  needed  to  con- 
firm the  pedagogical  wisdom  of  the  strictest  grad- 
ing, for  the  work  at  best  in  the  one  school  is  lam- 
entably fragmentary,  and  in  the  graded  school 
it  is  comprehensive,  exact,  and  logically  pro- 
gressive. 

There  are  arguments  on  both  sides  of  the 
grading  question  in  the  Sunday-school,  but  the 
better  way  is  along  the  strictest  grading  and  clas- 
sification. The  little  children  may  prefer  to  have 
opening  and  closing  exercises  with  the  main 
school,  and  some  of  the  older  scholars  want  the 


AND  METHODS.  4I 

children  in  sight.  But  to  hold  and  to  help  in  the 
best  way  the  boy  and  the  ambitious  young  man, 
we  must  have  every  part  of  the  work  where  they 
are  specially  adapted  to  them;  and  none  the  less 
in  the  case  of  the  girl  and  the  young  lady,  though 
these  are  not  so  difficult  to  hold.  And  for  the 
smallest  child,  all  the  exercises  must  be  childish 
to  a  degree  which  older  pupils  would  resent. 

What,  then,  is  the  wise  system  and  basis  for 
Sunday-school  grading?  It  can  not  be  a  simple 
intellectual  test  in  Bible  knowledge.  The  purpose 
of  the  Sunday-school  is  to  build  character  or  to 
create  a  new  moral  and  spiritual  nature.  We  re- 
quire a  deeper  basis  than  the  mental  life,  and  with- 
out any  one's  invention  we  have  come  to  the 
simplest  and  deepest  one. 

It  is  the  psychological  basis,  or  the  division 
into  the  stages  of  a  human  life.  Into  these  grades 
the  schools  naturally  fall.  The  child,  the  boy  or 
girl,  the  youth,  and  adult  manhood,  are  these 
stages  whose  names  are  probably  in  almost  every 
language  and  known  from  earliest  ages.  We  have 
learned,  in  this  day,  when  there  is  a  discriminat- 
ing empirical  psychological  study  of  man,  not  so 
much  by  a  "new  psychology,"  that  these  divisions 
are  strictly  scientific,  and  that  upon  them  we  form 
our  organized  Sunday-schools.  Infancy  is  also 
in  the  Sunday-school  plan,  though  not  in  the 
school  itself.  It  is  placed  upon  the  Cradle  Roll, 
which  is  conspicuous  in  many  Primary  Depart- 


42  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

ments,  and  remembered  by  a  special  prayer  in 
the  session. 

First  grade  is  childhood  for  the  Primary  De- 
partment. In  age  lines  it  extends  from  three  to 
about  eight  or  nine  years.  It  has  unique  charac- 
teristics, which  we  will  give  later. 

Second  grade  is  boyhood  and  girlhood  from 
about  nine  years  to  thirteen  years,  for  the  next 
department  variously  called  Secondary,  Junior, 
and  Intermediate.  Secondary  would  probably  be 
the  best  name  for  this  grade. 

Third  grade  is  youth  from  thirteen  to  sixteen 
or  seventeen  years.  We  shall  see  how  well  de- 
fined is  this  stage  also,  and  how  important  to  give 
to  it  special  treatment. 

Following  this  are  the  adult  or  advanced 
grades,  the  Normal  or  Teacher-training  Depart- 
ment, and  the  assembly  of  Bible-studying  men 
and  women.  Whether  we  have  the  one  room  to 
house  all  these,  or  the  Akron  plan,  the  separated 
primary  plan  of  building,  or  the  separate  depart- 
ment rooms,  we  may  very  fully  develop  this  grad- 
ing. In  the  one  room  imaginary  lines  may  be 
the  divisions,  and  these  designated  by  placards 
on  the  walls  or  upon  the  seats.  With  the  modern 
building  better  work  may  be  done,  but  it  is  well 
worth  grading  strictly  in  the  one-room  Sunday- 
school,  and  many  fine  Sunday-schools  of  the  best 
sort  are  housed  in  a  single  room. 

Let  us  take,  now,  the  three  most  distinctive 


AND  METHODS,  43 

grades — the  child,  the  boy  or  girl,  and  the  youth — 
and  contrast  their  characteristics  of  nature.  The 
child  is  dependent  upon  others  absolutely ;  but  its 
unique  characteristic  is,  that  it  enjoys  being  de- 
pendent. It  gladly  acknowledges  it  by  the  cling- 
ing hand  as  parent  and  child  walk  along  the  street. 
Would  you  know  when  the  boy  period  has  come  ? 
Hold  fast  the  hand  while  you  walk  with  him,  and 
he  pulls  away.  Take  his  hand  again,  and  after 
a  moment  he  will  resolutely  withdraw  it.  He 
struts  ahead,  and  does  not  want  to  be  seen  hold- 
ing fast  to  any  one's  hand.  The  boy  is  independ- 
ent in  social  attitude.  Now  go  to  the  youth,  and 
you  will  see  that,  unlike  the  child,  he  does  not 
Hke  to  be  dependent,  nor,  like  the  boy,  to  be  in- 
dependent, but  he  holds  out  his  arm  for  some 
one  else  to  lean  upon  it ;  for  his  sister,  or,  prefer- 
ably, for  some  one  else's  sister,  to  lean  upon  him. 
Take  another  point  of  comparison.  The  child 
is  unconscious  of  sex.  He  plays  with  little  boys 
or  girls  equally  with  pleasure;  he  wears  dresses 
in  childhood,  and  curls  down  his  shoulders,  if  his 
mother  can  make  curls  out  of  his  straight  hair, 
which  she  usually  does.  Thus  throughout  child- 
hood ;  but  when  boyhood  comes  he  demands  that 
curls  come  off  and  dresses  go,  and  is  very  proud 
of  being  a  boy.  He  despises  girls.  One  such 
boy  wrote  the  universal  boyish  estimate  of  girls 
in  his  composition :  "Girls  are  always  sick.  They 
are  funny  and  make  fun  of  boys'  hands,  and  say, 


44  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

'How  dirty!'  They  can't  play  marbles.  I  pity 
them,  poor  things !"  And  the  girls  at  this  period 
return  the  boys'  contempt.  The  very  terms  are 
significant  of  this  sex  consciousness.  We  have 
a  common  term,  child,  for  male  or  female,  in  that 
stage;  we  have  a  common  name,  youth,  for  the 
next  period ;  but  here  it  is  sharply  defined  by 
sex — a  male,  boy;  a  female,  girl — and  there  is 
no  common  term  for  this  period  of  life.  In  youth, 
again,  sexes  become  mutually  attractive. 

Once  more,  see  the  difference  in  self-con- 
sciousness. The  child  is  self-unconscious,  as  we 
see  so  often  in  his  easy,  unembarrassed  recitation 
in  our  Sunday-school  entertainments.  One  little 
child  sang  the  "Holy  City"  with  sweet  grace  and 
composure.  She  tripped  to  the  platform,  waited 
patiently  for  the  organist  to  find  her  piece  of 
music,  smiled  at  friends  she  recognized  during 
the  four  or  five  minutes  she  waited,  and  then  sang 
clearly  and  with  not  the  slightest  embarrassment. 
If  a  young  lady  had  been  in  her  place,  how  she 
would  have  trembled  during  that  awful  waiting 
time;  how  the  piece  of  music,  the  "Holy  City," 
would  have  wavered  and  almost  tumbled  over 
before  she  began  to  sing ! 

The  boy  has  the  beginnings  of  self-conscious- 
ness, but  not  so  much  as  to  make  him  careful 
about  personal  appearance  or  to  be  self-conceited. 
This  comes  in  youth,  when  complete  individuality 
asserts  itself  and  a  great  sense  of  self-importance 
is  developed. 


AND  METHODS.  45 

Taking  central  characteristics  only,  the  child 
is  all  faith,  the  boy  is  all  impulsive  activity,  and 
the  youth  is  all  aspiration.  But  were  there  time 
it  would  b'^  easy  to  develop  six,  or  even  ten,  lines 
of  clear  contrast  between  the  child,  the  boy  and 
girl,  and  the  youth. 

If  we  study  each  separately,  we  see  the  child 
in  mentality  with  active  but  untrained  percep- 
tions, with  very  vivid  imagination,  with  no  ability 
to  reason;  in  moral  character,  with  every  trait 
and  habit  yet  to  be  formed ;  but,  spiritually,  with 
beautiful  faith,  attitude  of  dependence,  frankness, 
religiousness.  This  is  the  material  upon  which 
we  work  in  the  Primary  Department.  The  teach- 
ers of  little  people  are  becoming  specialists  by 
their  thorough  child  study,  and  their  lessons  more 
and  more  reach  perfect  adaptation  to  the  child 
mind  and  soul. 

We  see  the  boy  or  girl  reaching  out  to  self- 
dependence,  irrepressibly  active  in  mind,  eager  to 
learn.  Perceptions  are  now  more  accurate,  mem- 
ory is  most  active,  and  there  is  some  reasoning, 
but  not  skillful.  It  is  the  habit- forming  period, 
because  the  soul  takes  clear  self-initiative.  So- 
cially there  are  no  close  ties  nor  single  friends. 
It  is  the  time  for  gangs  of  boys  or  sets  of  girls, 
many  equally  liked.  Its  greatest  characteristic 
is  phenomenal  activity  of  body,  mind,  and  soul. 
*'The  insatiable  hunger  physically  is  only  an  indi- 
cation of  a  similar  hunger  in  the  mind,  and  the 


46  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

same  hunger  in  the  soul."  It  will  take  very  much 
in  every  realm  to  feed  and  satisfy.  This  period  is 
the  richest  for  teaching  and  moral  efifort  in  the 
whole  life.  Teachers  of  boys  must  be  specialists, 
or  they  fail  altogether ;  and  it  is  worth  a  lifetime 
of  study  and  endeavor  to  teach  boys  and  girls  so 
as  to  hold  and  to  help  them. 

Let  us  now  study  the  youth.  He  or  she  is 
then  in  full  personality  by  self-consciousness.  It 
is  an  aw^ul  and  perilous  time;  a  time  of  stress 
and  storm,  of  physical  and  moral  changes  amount- 
ing to  the  revolutionary.  The  new  sense  of  per- 
sonal power  and  of  dazzling  possibility  is  over- 
whelming. But  there  are  deeper  tides  of  moral 
and  spiritual  life.  It  is  the  day  of  ideals  and  lofty 
plans.  It  is  possible  to  win  to  Christ  and  to  noble 
living  then  as  never  afterward.  There  is  no  more 
delicate  or  difficult  spiritual  task  than  to  teach 
this  stage  of  life,  and  the  teachers  of  youth  must 
have  warm  sympathy,  intimate  knowledge  of  this 
phase  of  human  nature,  a  fine  character  to  arouse 
genuine  admiration,  and  genuine  ability  in  Bible 
teaching. 

On  these  stages  we  are  now  grading  the  Sun- 
day-school, and  the  simplicity  of  the  scheme 
makes  it  adaptable  everywhere.  In  the  smallest 
school  there  are  children,  boys,  and  youth,  and 
these  need  the  specialized  care  as  much,  if  there 
are  only  five  of  grade,  as  if  there  are  five  hundred 
of  each.    Our  work  is  to  make  character :  so  it  is 


AND  METHODS,  47 

the  material  of  real  nature  which  we  must  under- 
stand and  work  upon.  It  is  this  fact  that  gives 
the  chief  excellence  to  this  wise  grading. 

Mature  manhood  or  womanhood  is  fully  indi- 
vidualized. We  must  study  each  by  himself  or 
herself  for  our  best  work.  The  advanced  classes, 
therefore,  constitute  a  problem  by  themselves,  and 
must  be  set  off  into  a  special  department.  There 
has  been  extraordinary  progress  in  men's  and 
women's  Sunday-school  classes.  The  Baraca 
movement,  the  great  single  classes  everywhere, 
the  union  of  such  classes  for  general  helpfulness, 
constitutes  a  new  and  wonderful  growth  of  the 
Sunday-school.  Its  significance  in  the  conquest 
of  the  world  for  Christ  is  very  encouraging. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

TEACHER  TRAINING  MADE 
PRACTICAL. 

There  is  a  strange  and  persistent  fallacy 
among  Sunday-school  workers  that  earnestness 
is  a  substitute  for  knowledge.  ''What  if  the 
teacher  does  not  know  all  the  books  of  the  Bible, 
nor  even  all  the  details  of  the  life  of  Christ ;  if  he 
is  deeply  earnest  he  will  make  an  impression!" 
Certainly !  but  not  such  an  impression  as  he  would 
like  to  make.  In  these  days  of  greatly  improved 
teaching  in  the  public  school  and  the  college  the 
bright  boy  or  girl  is  keen  to  recognize  ignorance 
and  incapacity.  Earnestness  is  essential  as  the 
right  arm  of  power,  but  knowledge  is  the  other 
arm  whose  loss  is  serious  and  irreparable.  Two 
bright  American  boys  in  a  little  Sunday-school 
were  listening  to  one  of  the  traveling  Sunday- 
school  speakers  of  the  former  days,  a  man  who 
was  ignorant  but  earnest,  and  who  rattled  on 
dreary  commonplaces  of  exhortation  until  he  had 
worked  himself  to  tears.  The  boys  watched  the 
performance  with  little  interest  until  one  of  them 
said  to  his  companion,  "Say,  Jim,  what  is  that 
old  fellow  crying  about?"    "Now,  you  be  quiet! 

48 


METHODS,  49 

If  you  had  to  stand  up  there  and  make  a  speech, 
and  had  nothing  more  to  say  than  he  has,  you  'd 
cry  too!" 

In  every  other  sort  of  teaching  nothing  would 
be  accepted  but  knowledge  of  the  subject.  Surely 
in  the  teaching  which  purposes  to  make  character 
and  life  we  need  the  supreme  teaching  power. 
The  text-book,  the  Bible,  is  the  material  the  Holy 
Spirit  uses  to  convict  and  convert  men,  and  it  is 
a  difficult  text-book.  The  time  for  teaching  is  a 
half-hour  a  week,  requiring  intensity  of  touch  and 
interest  to  produce  a  lasting  impression.  The  in- 
creasing pressure  and  rush  of  modern  life  necessi- 
tates greater  power  to  give  the  Bible  a  place  and 
to  hold  its  place.  All  this  bears  down  heavily 
upon  the  teacher's  responsibility  and  requires  him 
to  be  trained  and  prepared. 

/.  What  course  of  training  is  practicable f 

We  have  made  real  progress  in  defining  such 
a  course.  It  would  be  easy  enough  to  arrange  a 
list  of  pedagogical  works  desirable  to  study  by 
every  teacher  for  ideal  preparation ;  and  add  to  it 
a  list  of  Biblical  helps  equally  important ;  and  an 
original  Bible  study,  analytical  and  synthetic, 
which  is  of  greatest  value;  with  other  lines  of 
training.  But  the  great  body  of  Sunday-school 
teachers  could  not  prosecute  such  a  course,  and 
the  few  who  have  the  time  to  do  it  would  not.  So 
that  it  is  necessary  to  prescribe  what  will  be  taken. 

Practical  experience  has  long  ago  proven  that 
4 


50  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

each  Sunday-school  must  provide  its  own  teach- 
ing force  and  train  it.  The  necessity  of  training 
it  by  each  school  is  now  being  realized ;  for  we 
can  not  find  an  adequate  number  of  good  teachers 
ready  in  any  Church,  hov/ever  cultured  the 
Church  may  be,  or  however  numerous  among  its 
people  are  college  graduates  or  professional  men. 
These  educated  people  are  not  often  well  informed 
in  the  Bible  nor  skilled  teachers.  They  will  be 
benefited  by  a  Teacher-training  Department  more 
richly  than  others.  And  such  a  department  in 
every  school  is  as  important  as  the  normal  schools 
of  the  State  are  to  the  public-school  system.  Who 
does  not  remember  the  days  before  the  normal 
schools  when  all  sorts  of  teachers  were  accepted 
for  public  schools?  The  inspiration  and  uplift 
of  the  normal  school  is  felt  in  every  school-room, 
and  no  colleges  or  seminaries  could  maintain  the 
present  standard  of  public-school  teaching  by 
their  graduates  if  the  normal  schools  were  closed. 
Acting  again  as  your  reporter,  I  could  describe 
Sunday-schools  where  a  thoroughly  organized 
Normal  Department  of  several  years'  standing 
produces  more  than  the  required  number  of  teach- 
ers. In  one  school  every  teacher  now  in  the  serv- 
ice, about  fifty-two,  is  a  graduate  of  the  three 
years'  normal  course ;  in  another  school  they  are 
able  to  make  it  a  requirement  to  be  a  graduate 
before  electing  any  one  to  teach ;  in  one  school 
there  were  so  many  additional  graduates  that  an 


AND  METHODS.  5 1 

assistant  teacher  was  assigned  to  every  class  to 
act  as  class  secretary,  assistant  visitor,  and  sub- 
stitute teacher.  The  Normal  Department  is  an 
undoubted  success  in  providing  teachers,  sufficient 
in  numbers  and  greatly  improved  in  teaching 
power. 

Remember,  also,  that  the  work  of  training 
teachers  for  the  Sunday-school  is  not  to  furnish 
a  complete  education.  We  begin  with  well-edu- 
cated material  as  a  rule.  The  men  and  the  women 
selected  to  take  the  course  or  volunteering  to  do 
so  are  intelligent,  eager  to  study  and  knowing 
how  to  study  in  most  cases,  and  they  need  little 
more  than  suggestions.  It  is  surprising  how 
much  can  be  done  for  prospective  teachers  in  a 
single  year's  normal  study. 

The  course  of  study  embraces  five  subjects, 
and  all  will  be  recognized  as  essential. 

I.  Comprehensive  Bible  Study.  The  Bible  is 
taken  as  a  whole,  and  its  units,  which  are  single 
books,  not  chapters  (except  in  the  Psalms)  nor 
verses.  These  books  are  classified  in  a  general 
way,  and  their  contents  analyzed  so  that  the 
teacher  shall  have  a  reasonable  command  of  the 
whole.  This  is  followed  by  synthetic  study  of 
the  Bible,  which  takes  great  subjects  like  the  his- 
tory of  the  Old  Testament,  biographical  studies, 
the  life  of  Christ,  and  a  score  of  such  topics  in 
fullest  outline.  Next  comes  a  literary  study  of 
the  Bible,  carefully  noting  the  variety  of  literary 


52  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

forms  in  which  the  message  of  God  is  recorded, 
the  significance  of  these  forms,  their  beauty  and 
value,  and  the  laws  of  interpretation  for  them. 
Logically  following  this  is  expository  study, 
which  takes  words  and  phrases  in  carefully- 
guarded  examination,  and  seeks  for  the  exact 
meaning  of  God's  Word.  All  this,  duly  empha- 
sizing the  need  of  sincerity  and  spiritual  purpose 
in  all  the  study,  is  a  bare  outline  of  comprehensive 
Bible  study  for  normal  training. 

2.  Next  comes  a  knowledge  of  Biblical  liter- 
ature and  helps.  The  teacher  needs  to  know  the 
use  of  Bible  concordances,  dictionaries,  Bible 
geography,  manners  and  customs,  archaeology, 
commentaries,  and  the  vast  library  of  Biblical 
appliances  for  investigation.  Some  guidance  may 
be  given  to  the  best  books  upon  all  these  subjects. 

3.  A  study  of  some  of  the  Laws  of  Teaching 
as  applied  to  Bible  work.  To  be  sure,  it  is  pos- 
sible to  give  only  the  most  elementary  course  in 
pedagogy;  but  when  given  in  a  richly  suggestive 
form  to  eager  and  intelligent  minds,  enough  is 
secured  to  be  of  real  value.  How  to  approach  the 
mind,  how  to  intensify  interest,  how  to  illustrate, 
how  to  question,  and  the  laws  of  memory,  imagi- 
nation, reasoning,  and  conscience,  are  discussed 
and  reviewed. 

4.  In  the  same  outline  form  we  study  human 
nature  in  untechnical,  psychological  suggestions ; 
the  characteristics  of  the  child,  the  boy  or  girl. 


AND  METHODS.  53 

the  youth,  individuality,  heredity,  environment, 
and  other  formative  forces.  To  many  students  it 
has  become  the  taste,  leading  to  larger  psychologic 
studies  of  values.  Let  no  one  think  this  is  mere 
dabbling  into  science.  It  is  immensely  helpful, 
and  it  is  accurate  so  far  as  it  goes. 

5.  Lastly,  it  is  important  to  exhibit  the  Sun- 
day-school organization  in  its  modern  develop- 
miCnt  and  possibilities.  This  includes  the  business 
organization  of  the  school,  departmental  divisions, 
grading,  courses  of  studies.  Home  Department, 
Cradle  Roll,  house-to-house  visitation.  Decision- 
days,  denominational  and  State  and  International 
Associations. 

This  is  the  ground  now  staked  out  and  sought 
to  be  covered  in  the  teacher-training  classes  of 
our  best  Sunday-schools. 

//.  Hovu  is  the  Teacher-training  Class  or  De- 
partment started  and  organized  f 

Usually  it  is  found  possible  to  transform  an 
interesting  adult  class  into  the  first  teacher-train- 
ing class  of  the  school.  Invite  into  it  all  persons 
in  the  Church  who  desire  to  fit  themselves  for 
teaching  and  for  larger  Christian  service.  Make 
it  one  of  the  standing  invitations  and  announce- 
ments from  the  pulpit  to  call  attention  to  teacher- 
training.  At  the  end  of  the  first  year  let  this  orig- 
inal class  take  up  a  second  year's  studies  and  or- 
ganize another  class  for  the  first  year.  So,  also, 
advance  each  class  and  organize  another  at  the 


54  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

end  of  the  second  year.  It  will  not  be  easy  to  in- 
augurate, but  it  is  essential  to  the  best  work  of 
the  Sunday-school,  and  it  can  be  done  by  earnest 
effort  anywhere,  and  the  teachers  secured  for 
three  years'  classes.  Then  you  will  have  your 
teacher-training  department. 

For  the  teachers  in  actual  service  when  the 
department  is  begun  there  will  probably  come  a 
demand  for  normal  training.  It  is  usually  the 
better  way  to  stir  up  an  interest  in  them  for  their 
training.  For  these  teachers  there  is  organized 
the  Church  Bible  Institute  during  the  week.  The 
same  course  of  studies  is  pursued,  and  some  little 
time  is  given  to  the  study  of  the  current  Uniform 
Lesson.  The  division  of  time  in  both  the  Teacher- 
training  Department  meeting  during  the  Sunday- 
school  session  and  the  Institute  during  the  week, 
should  be  carefully  observed.  The  best  in  our 
practical  experience  is  about  one-third  for  the  In- 
ternational Lesson  and  two-thirds  for  the  Normal 
Lesson. 

Where  there  are  several  Churches  in  a  town 
developing  teacher-training  a  Union  Institute  may 
be  formed.  Meeting  monthly  with  larger  num- 
bers, it  has  been  found  possible  to  arrange  for  lec- 
tures by  expert  Sunday-school  leaders  and  upon 
Biblical  studies  of  great  inspiration  and  value. 
The  Sunday-school  Union,  also,  is  a  correspond- 
ence school  for  all  these  Institutes.  It  answers 
all  questions,  arranges  for  examinations  upon  the 
course,  and  directs  further  study. 


AND  METHODS.  55 

The  Church  Bible  Institute  is  desig-ned  for 
larger  service  in  training  all  Christian  workers 
in  the  Church.  It  will  help  the  interest  of  its 
specialty  for  Sunday-school  teachers  to  plan  the 
extended  work.  The  lamentable  need  of  workers 
in  the  preaching  and  evangelistic  meetings,  in  the 
young  people's  meetings,  in  class-leading  of  a 
better  sort,  in  parental  teaching,  and  in  personal 
work  for  Christ  day  by  day,  renders  such  a 
training-school  an  imperative  need. 

The  ideal  teacher  is  Christ.  He  is  the  perfect 
example  of  the  teacher  of  religious  truth.  In  the 
thoroughness  of  His  preparation,  in  His  enthusi- 
asm for  Bible  study,  in  His  holy  character,  and 
in  every  qualification  which  makes  for  power  in 
teaching,  He  is  supreme.  In  particular  instances 
of  teaching,  Hke  His  lesson  at  Jacob's  well,  His 
instruction  in  Messianic  prophecy  on  the  way  to 
Emmaus,  and  His  great  parables.  He  shows  Him- 
self a  master  in  the  teaching  art.  These  and 
other  examples  furnish  the  finest  illustrations  of 
pedagogical  principles.  Best  of  all,  He  exhibits 
the  power  of  the  personal  factor  in  all  teaching, 
especially  in  moral  and  religious  instruction.  He 
is  Himself  His  own  richest  Gospel,  and  He  re- 
veals more  of  God  the  Father  in  His  spirit  and 
acts  and  character  than  in  all  His  sayings.  He 
is  the  Light  worth  most  of  all  for  its  shining 
when  to-day  it  penetrates  into  our  inmost  souls, 
but  valuable  beyond  measure  as  an  example  for 
those  who  also  are  a  light  to  the  world. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  LESSON   COURSES  FOR 
THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL. 

We;  come  last  to  what  all  recent  discussions 
of  the  Sunday-school  have  placed  first.  But  les- 
son courses  are  both  first  and  last  in  the  Bible- 
school  ;  they  are  unquestionably  at  least  among 
the  first  things  in  importance,  though  not  more 
so  than  is  teacher-training  or  grading  or  relation 
to  the  home;  they  are  last  in  order  of  organiza- 
tion. We  do  not  select  lesson  courses  first,  and 
then  select  pupils  these  courses  will  suit  and 
teachers  who  can  teach  them.  We  determine  who 
are  the  legitimate  students  to  be  gathered  into 
our  Bible-school ;  we  next  study  the  nature  of 
these  students,  and  classify  them  wisely,  and  then 
survey  our  supply  of  teachers  to  know  what  they 
may  be  expected  to  do.  Further,  we  decide  upon 
v/hat  we  really  purpose  to  accomplish  in  the  Sun- 
day-school, how  much  is  intellectual  and  educa- 
tional, and  how  much  spiritual  and  training.  And 
after  all  this  development,  and  only  then,  we  are 
ready  to  select  and  adapt  Bible  lessons  for  the 
Sunday-school. 

56 


METHODS.  57 

/.  What  are  the  fundamental  methods  of 
treating  Bible  material  for  lessons f 

They  are  two ;  the  same  for  Sunday-school  les- 
sons as  preachers  have  found  Bible  material  for 
sermonizing.  One  is  the  topical  method,  which 
uses  the  Bible  passage  or  text  as  suggestive  of 
the  truth  or  declarative  of  one  or  more  general 
truths;  or  which  collates  several  passages  sug- 
gestive or  illustrative  of  the  truth  to  be  preached. 
Then  the  preacher  or  teacher  develops, it  logically 
or  rhetorically,  to  produce  the  impression  desired. 
Topical  preaching  is  a  proper  and  helpful  method 
of  proclaiming  the  Gospel. 

The  other  method  of  treating  Bible  material 
is  the  expository,  exegetical,  or  textual.  I  need 
not  explain  that,  by  this  method,  the  preacher  or 
teacher  seeks  absolutely  to  follow  the  exact 
thought  of  the  passage  in  hand,  both  in  discrimi- 
nating expression  and  in  the  very  way  it  is  devel- 
oped or  illustrated  in  that  particular  passage. 

Both  of  these  methods  are  used  in  the  pulpit, 
and  both  are  necessary  to  successful  lesson  courses 
in  the  Sunday-school.  Each  method  has  its  ad- 
vantages, the  topical  giving  the  breadth  and  com- 
prehensiveness of  Scripture  truth ;  the  expository 
or  textual,  the  exact  message  and  its  depth ;  so 
that  we  may  see  that  topical  and  textual  methods 
are  not  antagonistic,  but  complementary.  The 
complete  view  comes  by  using  both  thoroughly 
and  with  specialized  ability. 


58  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

Another  survey  of  these  methods  shows  that 
the  topical  is  educational,  and  the  textual  is  more 
directly  inspirational  or  spiritual ;  but  here  again 
we  see  that  we  need  both  methods,  for  we  are 
seeking  both  of  these  results  in  the  Bible-school. 

The  International  Uniform  Lessons  are  ex- 
pository in  their  treatment  of  the  text.  They  fol- 
low somewhat  loosely  a  course  of  topics,  but  not 
so  fully  nor  in  any  sense  exhaustively  so  as  to 
change  their  character  from  the  strictly  expository 
or  textual  of  certain  selected  passages,  ten  to  fif- 
teen verses  in  length,  of  the  Bible.  This  is  no 
well-grounded  objection  to  these  lessons  as  one 
course  for  the  Sunday-school.  Such  a  series  is 
an  essential  part  of  a  complete  Bible  study,  and 
the  selections  of  the  Uniform  series  are,  on  the 
whole,  as  carefully  made  as  any  can  be.  Given  a 
purpose  to  treat  the  Bible  for  spiritual  helpful- 
ness and  to  get  the  exact  character  and  depth  of 
the  Divine  message,  and  taking  the  Bible  just  as 
it  is,  a  miscellaneous  collection  of  historical,  bio- 
graphical, ethical,  and  spiritual  writings,  any  body 
of  discriminating  Bible  teachers  would  select  just 
about  such  a  series  of  passages  for  study  as  the 
International  Lesson  Committee  have  given  to  us. 
It  is  not  strange  to  spiritually-minded  people  that 
these  lessons  have  acquired  so  powerful  a  perma- 
nent hold  upon  the  Christian  world.  They  are 
based  upon  a  sound  philosophy. 

But,  once  more,  considering  the  Bible  as  the 


AND  METHODS.  59 

peculiarly  constructed  book  it  is,  we  can  never 
acquire  a  broad  education  in  its  history,  its  con- 
tents, its  facts  and  complete  system  of  truth,  by 
exposition  of  small  sections  in  detail.  We  must 
study  it  comprehensively  in  topics  arranged  in 
logical  order  as  we  gather  facts  from  the  whole 
Bible.  For  the  education  of  our  scholars  in  the 
history  and  contents  of  the  Bible  we  arrange  a 
series  of  lessons  in  various  courses  of  a  topical 
character. 

As  we  argued  previously  from  the  standpoint 
of  the  purposes  of  the  Sunday-school,  that  two 
courses  of  lessons  are  necessary,  and  as  a  reporter 
gave  instances  of  how  completely  these  purposes 
are  achieved  by  the  two  lessons  a  day,  so  now 
from  the  standpoint  of  the  nature  of  the  Bible 
and  the  two  methods  of  treating  its  material  of 
truth,  we  reach  the  same  conclusion  that  two  les- 
sons are  needed. 

//.  The  Two  Lessons  at  every  session  of  the 
Sunday-school. 

The  arrangement  practically  adopted  by  many 
schools  which,  for  six,  ten,  and  fifteen  years,  have 
worked  the  two  lessons,  is  to  give  the  topical  or 
General  Bible  Lesson  first  in  the  session  for  eight 
or  ten  minutes,  and  then  turn  to  the  International 
Lesson  for  twenty,  twenty-five,  or  thirty  minutes, 
as  the  length  of  the  session  might  permit.  Their 
experience  shows  that  the  General  Lesson  grows 
in  interest  steadily,  and  requires  longer  time  after 


6o  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

a  while,  though  the  expository  lesson  demands 
ever  more  time  also. 

///.  The  Bible  as  a  Text-book. 

The  discriminating  and  trained  teacher  will 
see,  as  he  takes  up  his  Bible  before  the  class,  that 
it  is  not  in  the  ordinary  text-book  form.  There 
is  no  advance  from  the  simple  to  the  complex  in 
its  progress,  no  orderly  sequence  in  successive 
books,  and  no  easy  arrangement  for  its  study  or 
recitation.  It  is  a  book  of  marvelous  unity  and 
harmony,  but  in  its  structure  it  is  really  a  collec- 
tion of  many  pamphlets  or  smaller  books.  It  is 
not  so  difficult,  with  such  a  text-book,  to  select  a 
series  of  brief  passages  as  the  International  Uni- 
form textual  lessons  do ;  but  the  difficulty  becomes 
very  great  when  topical  comprehensive  lessons 
are  to  be  planned. 

Holding  the  Bible  in  hand,  what  kind  of  a 
book  to  teach  is  it  ? 

First,  it  is  really  a  library  of  sacred  literature. 
We  must  therefore  study  it  book  by  book,  taking 
the  literary  form  of  each  book,  its  place  in  the 
sacred  history,  its  peculiar  contribution  of  relig- 
ious truths  and  revelation  to  the  whole,  and  its 
geography,  manners,  and  circumstances. 

Secondly,  we  must  remember  that  the  Bible 
is  an  ancient  and  an  Oriental  book.  The  first  line 
of  it  was  written  over  three  thousand  years  ago, 
the  last  line  eighteen  hundred  years  ago.  Much 
of  it  is  plain  to  the  most  unlettered,  notwithstand- 
ing this ;  but  to  get  the  full  force  of  some  of  its 


AND  METHODS.  6 1 

great  and  beautiful  passages  we  must  reconstruct 
the  ancient  times  in  which  it  was  given,  and  also 
reconstruct  the  place  and  environment  of  its 
giving. 

Thirdly,  we  must  ever  bear  in  mind  that  the 
Bible  is  God's  message  to  men  now  and  here  as 
truly  as  it  was  His  message  to  men  at  any  time 
and  anywhere.  It  is  a  present-day  book,  a  book 
of  modern  life  and  power. 

Our  series  of  General  Lessons,  therefore,  if 
they  are  to  be  most  helpful,  should  cover  the  con- 
tents of  the  Bible,  and  also  the  geography  of  Bible 
lands,  the  manners  and  customs,  the  archaeology, 
the  ethnology,  and  related  subjects,  in  helpful 
outline. 

There  must  also  be  ethical  lessons  for  present 
moral  development  of  character.  Out  of  the 
Bible  we  must  teach  every  cardinal  virtue,  truth- 
telling,  honesty,  purity,  hospitality,  fidelity,  cour- 
age, kindness,  love.  The  training  of  childhood 
in  character  is  the  supreme  object  of  Sunday- 
school  work,  and  teachers  everywhere  are  asking 
how  it  can  be  done  successfully.  Surely  it  can 
not  be  done  by  haphazard  or  left  to  the  chance 
of  incidental  teaching  in  connection  with  other 
lessons.  It  should  be  planned  for  specifically, 
virtue  by  virtue  taught,  trained  by  stimulating 
the  right  action,  and  strengthened  against  temp- 
tation. To  train  is  to  get  the  actual  result,  and 
only  this  will  be  sufficient. 


62  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

Another  important  topic  of  the  General  Les- 
sons will  be  Church  History  Lessons.  The 
Church  of  Christ  is  the  richest  fruit  of  Bible  reve- 
lation, and  we  can  get  new  light  upon  the  Bible 
by  searching  into  the  movements  of  the  Church, 
her  struggles,  her  successive  conquests,  her  sad 
yielding  to  worldliness  and  sin,  her  reformation 
and  growth  in  holiness  and  power.  The  Church 
in  the  eighteen  centuries  is  full  of  glorious  inspi- 
ration for  young  and  old  in  the  Sunday-school, 
and  it  is  our  duty  to  put  them  in  touch  with  these 
inspiring  events  and  characters.  The  Church  in 
the  nineteenth  century,  with  its  wonderful  growth, 
its  many  movements,  its  unprecedented  develop- 
ment of  organization,  and  its  world-wide  spread, 
has  leaders,  events,  successes,  and  inspirations 
that  should  be  studied  by  all.  The  Sunday-school 
is  making  Church  members  for  to-morrow,  and 
whatever  we  want  in  the  Church  member  then,  we 
must  put  into  the  scholar  to-day.  So  we  must 
teach  habits  of  Church  attendance,  of  systematic 
giving,  of  private  and  public  prayer,  of  intelligent 
work  in  the  Church. 

Can  all  this  be  done  in  the  brief  hour  of  the 
regular  Sunday-school  session?  It  is  being  done 
in  large  measure  in  many  schools.  But  it  re- 
quires intensified  teaching.  Eyes  and  ears  both 
must  be  used.  By  objects  and  blackboard,  can- 
dles, colors,  and  all  possible  skill,  let  the  heart 
and  the  mind  be  opened  and  the  truth  given  with 


AND  METHODS.  63 

power.  Charts,  pictures,  stereopticon,  intensified 
interest  and  attention,  are  now  being  used  in  our 
Sunday-schools,  and  in  five  minutes,  in  one  min- 
ute, lessons  are  presented  which  last  for  eternity. 

The  General  or  Topical  Lessons  admit  of  the 
closest  grading.  An  eight-years'  course  can  be 
planned  which  begins  with  the  simple  easy  his- 
tory or  story  lessons  of  the  Primary  Department. 
Then,  taking  hero  lessons  for  boys  and  girls,  and 
other  curious  and  extremely  interesting  topics  for 
that  period  of  life,  we  provide  for  that  grade. 
And  in  similar  adaptation  for  the  following  de- 
partments a  large  scope  of  study  is  covered.  Side 
by  side  with  these  is  the  graded  treatment  for 
each  of  the  International  Lessons. 

I  have  acted  largely  as  reporter  of  things 
actually  done  in  our  best  Sunday-schools,  and  I 
am  glad  to  close  with  the  statement  that  this  cur- 
riculum here  described  is  actually  in  use,  more 
or  less  fully,  in  quite  a  number  of  them.  It  has 
solved  the  problem  of  the  best  Bible  course  for 
the  Sunday-school.  It  creates  enthusiasm  for  the 
Bible,  it  makes  students  of  it  who  pass  creditable 
examinations  upon  its  history  and  contents,  and 
it  develops  the  school  atmosphere  and  yet  the 
profoundly  religious  feeling  which  we  desire  for 
the  Church  school  of  the  Bible. 


APPENDIX. 

Illustrative  Studies, 


JESUS  THE  MODEL  TEACHER. 

As  A  teacher  Jesus  Christ  won  remarkable 
tributes  in  His  ministry.  The  two  men  who,  on 
the  long  walk  to  Emmaus,  received  His  expo- 
sition of  Messianic  prophecy,  declared  that  their 
"hearts  burned  within  them  while  He  talked  with 
them  and  opened  to  them  the  Scriptures."  The 
soldiers  whom  the  Pharisees  sent  to  arrest  Him 
were  themselves  captured  by  the  power  of  His 
instruction,  and  came  back  without  Him,  saying, 
''Never  man  spake  like  this  Man."  The  woman 
of  Samaria  who  heard  His  story  alone  on  Jacob's 
well  forgot  her  waterpot  and  ran  into  the  city, 
shouting,  "Come  see  a  Man  who  told  me  all 
things  that  ever  I  did.  Is  not  this  the  Christ?" 
But  who  can  forget  the  great  multitude  of  men, 
women,  and  children,  five  to  ten  thousand  strong, 
who  for  three  days  hung  upon  His  words,  forget- 
ting home  and  everything  else  that  they  might 
not  lose  one  utterance  from  those  gracious  lips? 
We  read  His  teachings  and  our  hearts  burn.  The 
v^^hole  world  crowns  Him  the  Prince  of  all  teach- 
ers. The  world  will  not  yet  call  Him  Savior,  nor 
yet  bow  in  submission  to  Him  as  Lord  and  King. 
Not  yet  Priest  nor  King  over  all,  but  He  is  the 
universal  Prophet  of  all  thoughtful  and  serious 
67 


68  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

humanity.  Into  that  crown  let  us  put  a  star, 
humbly  to  indicate  the  five  points  in  which  he  is 
our  model  Teacher  of  religious  truth. 

I.  In  the  Fullness  and  Accuracy  of  His 
Knoidedge  of  the  Scriptures. 

He  was  the  wonder  of  the  Jewish  rabbis  at 
twelve  years  of  age,  Luke  tells  us.  And  these 
rabbis  were  no  mean  Bible  students.  Of  the 
letter,  to  be  sure,  but  they  studied  little  else,  and 
could  not  easily  be  led  into  such  admiration  of 
Bible  attainments  unless  there  was  unusual  gen- 
eral knowledge  and  remarkable  penetration.  His 
answer  to  His  mother's  reproach  shows  that  He 
expected  her  to  have  remembered  that  His  en- 
thusiasm for  the  Scriptures  would  take  Him  there 
and  keep  Him  there  rather  than  anywhere  else. 
His  answer  may  be  rendered :  *'How  is  it  that  ye 
sought  Me  anywhere  else?  Wist  ye  not  that  I 
must  be  found  in  My  Father's  house  ?" 

Christ's  discourses  everywhere  show  His  inti- 
mate knowledge  of  the  Old  Testament.  His  quo- 
tations are  not  literal  and  usually  from  the  Septu- 
agint  version,  but  He  knows  the  law  and  the 
prophets  thoroughly.  Without  a  roll  at  hand, 
on  the  way  to  Emmaus,  He  began  with  Moses  and 
showed  in  all  the  prophets  the  things  concerning 
Himself.  The  men  to  whom  He  talked  were 
probably  devout  Jews,  well  read  in  the  Word,  and 
their  testimony  is  strong. 

There  is  no  point  of  Christ's  example  more 


AND  METHODS.  69 

important  than  His  enthusiasm  for  the  Bible. 
How  can  the  teacher  who  disHkes  reading  the 
Bible  inspire  any  love  for  it  in  his  scholars  ?  How 
can  ignorance  of  the  Scriptures,  joined  to  indif- 
ference, awaken  relish  for  it?  And  if  it  be  true 
that  the  Scriptures  are  the  material  the  Holy 
Spirit  uses  in  convicting  and  converting  sinners, 
how  can  that  teacher  who  knows  very  little  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  that  little  in  a  slovenly  inaccu- 
racy, co-operate  with  the  Spirit?  There  is  no 
escape  from  it, — we  must  learn  to  love  the  Bible, 
we  must  acquire  enthusiasm  for  it,  to  be  really 
helpful  Sunday-school  teachers. 

//.  Christ's  Unique  and  Original  Method  and 
Manner  of  Teaching. 

He  seems  thoroughly  to  have  appreciated  the 
importance  of  how  to  express  a  truth.  It  is  the 
literary  form  of  an  utterance  which  preserves  it 
for  immortality,  and  all  of  Christ's  words  had  a 
perfection  of  form  in  every  variety  of  literary 
expression  He  used.  There  was  nothing  extem- 
poraneous, nothing  slipshod,  but  all  thoroughly 
matured  and  beyond  any  improvement  in  all  the 
ages.  Who  can  improve  the  Lord's  Prayer? 
Who  can  add  anything  that  will  make  it  more 
comprehensive,  or  omit  anything  that  will  not 
sadly  mar  it?  It  is  a  perfect  prayer.  So  simple 
a  composition  as  the  Parable  of  the  Sower  is  be- 
yond all  praise  for  its  marvelous  simplicity  and 
yet    penetration    into    human    nature.      Charles 


70  SUNDAY-SCHOOL    ORGANIZATION 

Dickens  is  quoted  as  saying  that  the  Parable  of 
the  Prodigal  Son  is  the  finest  story  of  all  liter- 
ature, and  Edmund  Kean  that  Christ's  sayings 
are  deepest  of  all  utterances  in  pathos.  Who  can 
ever  measure  the  beneficence  inspired  by  that  one 
matchless  story  of  the  Good  Samaritan?  Every 
touch  of  it  is  sublime  in  literary  art  and  finish. 
May  it  not  be  that  during  the  eighteen  years  from 
His  visit  to  Jerusalem  until  His  public  ministry 
He  went  over  and  over  His  messages,  perfecting 
their  form  and  manner,  so  that  when  He  uttered 
them  in  such  beauty  and  variety  all  the  nation 
stood  still  to  listen  ? 

Here,  again,  is  a  most  vital  factor  in  teaching- 
success.  ''How"  is  equally  important  with 
"what,"  we  say.  Many  teachers  simply  gather 
much  material,  and  do  not  organize  it  nor  form 
a  plan  of  teaching.  They  wonder  why  they  fail 
10  interest  their  scholars,  but  the  point  of  gaining 
attention  is  always  in  the  manner  and  form  of  our 
utterance.  Teachers,  to  be  powerful,  must  put 
truth  into  attractive  dress  and  give  it  wings  of 
best  possible  expression. 

///.  Christ  icas  the  Modd  Teacher  in  His 
Intuition  of  Principles  and  Lazi's  of  the  Teaching 
Process. 

His  teaching  is  admired  beyond  all  praise  by 
scientific  pedagogy  to-day  as  furnishing  the  finest 
illustrations  of  its  principles.  He  knows  how  to 
gain  access  to  minds  with  infinite  skill ;  He  illus- 


AND  METHODS.  7 1 

t rates  with  perfection  from  commonest  objects  of 
every-day  life;  He  can  question  most  keenly, 
striking  confusion  into  cavilers  and  illuminating 
the  perplexed ;  and  there  is  not  a  law  of  teaching 
which  He  does  not  use  and  illustrate.  Froebel 
declares  that  he  learned  his  profound  principles 
from  Jesus  of  Nazareth !  His  lesson  to  the  wo- 
man of  Samaria  is  a  remarkable  model  of  how 
to  approach  a  soul,  how  to  open  into  spiritual 
truth,  how  to  meet  objections  and  to  win  convic- 
tion. His  conversation  with  Nicodemus  is 
equally  skillful  to  pedagogic  critical  view,  and  His 
conversation  with  the  two  men  on  the  way  to 
Emmaus  is  the  delight  of  the  scientific  professor 
of  pedagogy. 

IV.  Christ's  Holy  and  Heroic  Character  is  the 
fourth  point  of  our  star  of  perfection. 

He  was  the  truth  incarnate,  the  way  to  the 
Father  in  living  reality.  He  was  a  greater  Gospel 
than  any  He  ever  spoke.  That  Man  behind  the 
word  not  only  gave  it  power,  but  a  dazzling  illumi- 
nation and  a  heavenly  sweetness.  Who  can  ever 
describe  the  character  power  of  that  Teacher? 
His  love  was  a  passion  for  humanity.  His  purity 
was  radiant,  His  indignation  against  selfishness 
terrific.  His  pity  for  sinners  a  wonder.  His  breadth 
of  sympathy  immeasurable! 

The  personal  factor  in  teaching  is  paramount. 
The  Word  of  God  must  again  be  made  flesh  and 
dwell  among  men  if  it  is  to  save  and  to  uplift. 


72   ^        SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

"How  can  I  hear  what  you  say  when  what  you 
are  thunders  in  my  ears?"  said  Emerson  in  his 
startling  and  characteristic  way.  Let  our  Sunday- 
school  teachers  learn  that  it  is  not  enough  to  be 
negatively  good.  Their  goodness  must  be  radi- 
ant, electric,  leavening  the  class.  There  are 
teachers  who  complain  of  the  shortness  of  the 
time  in  teaching,  ''only  half  an  hour  a  week  out 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  hours."  But  if 
behind  the  half-hour  is  a  holy  and  heroic  char- 
acter, that  half-hour  is  the  sharp  end  of  a  wedge 
of  which  the  larger  end  is  the  mighty  influence  of 
goodness  and  earnestness,  which  drives  the  wedge 
into  the  life,  and  splits  off  indifference,  and  opens 
a  way  for  Christ !  Five  minutes  is  long  enough 
to  transform  eternity  when  a  Christlike  man 
uses  it. 

So  Christ's  lessons  were  perfect.  It  is  a  very 
good  lesson  which  is  easy  to  remember;  but 
Christ's  lessons  are  impossible  to  forget,  and  this 
is  a  perfect  lesson. 

V.  Our  Hfth  point  of  the  Star  of  Christ's 
Pozver  as  a  Teacher  is  His  Intimate  Knoii^ledge 
of  Human  Nature, 

Froebel  says  that  no  one  ever  knew  childhood 
as  Christ  did.  How  far  behind  His  teachings  of 
the  spiritual  status  of  the  child  are  the  plans  and 
conceptions  of  the  Church  !  A  generation  of  close 
study  of  Matthew's  eighteenth  chapter  would 
yield  the  richest  harvest  of  Church  members  the 


AND  METHODS,  73 

Church  ever  gathered,  and  would  advance  Christ's 
final  triumph  perhaps  a  thousand  years.  How 
well  Christ  saw  the  vile  woman  and  the  hardened 
sinner,  and  what  depths  of  psychologic  study  are 
in  His  parables ! 

He  knew  what  was  in  man.  Here,  too,  He 
has  become  an  inspiring  model  to  the  multitudes 
who  now  are  child-study  observers,  and  who  take 
the  ''New  Psychology"  as  one  part  of  their 
teacher-training. 

This  is  the  star  we  humbly  place  in  His  crown 
of  supremacy  as  a  teacher.  Greater  than  all  be- 
fore Him  or  since  is  He  among  all  who  ever 
opened  their  mouths  to  instruct  in  righteousness. 
I  went  up  Pike's  Peak  with  a  great  company  of 
young  Christians.  As  we  ascended,  the  landscape 
broadened,  and  to  the  eastward  and  westward  a 
wonderful  panorama  of  God's  handiwork  spread 
out,  so  that  with  awe  we  joined  in  the  song, 
^'Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee!"  and  seemed  to  be 
lifted  to  stand  beside  Him  and  gaze  upon  His 
works.  But  more  wonderful  was  my  lesson  about 
Christ.  I  saw  great  mountains  as  we  began  our 
ascent,  and  I  asked,  ''Which  of  these  is  Pike's 
Peak  ?"  "None  of  them !"  said  the  guide ;  "they 
are  only  foothills."  A  few  miles  farther  I  saw 
other  lofty  mountains.  "Which  of  these  is  the 
Peak  ?"  "None  !"  scornfully ;  "they  also  are  only 
foothills."  Again  we  ascend  mile  after  mile  until 
at  length  there  rises  that  gigantic  pile  of  granite, 


74  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

bare  on  his  crown,  with  a  dash  here  and  there  of 
snow,  and  we  all  knew  it  was  Pike's  Peak.  So 
we  study  the  wondrous  men  of  the  Bible.  Is 
Abraham  the  Pike's  Peak  of  the  Bible  ?  Is  Moses 
or  Isaiah  ?  No !  they  are  only  foothills,  grand  and 
lofty  as  they  are.  Are  John  and  Paul  the  Pike's 
Peak  ?  No !  they  also  are  foothills.  But  now  we 
have  reached  that  awe-inspiring  height,  and  it  is 
Jesus,  the  summit  of  all  ages  and  all  men.  He  is 
the  Pike's  Peak  of  the  Bible. 


HOW  TO  PRESENT  THE  CHRIST  TO  A 
BIGOTED  AND  SINFUL  HEART. 

A  Pt:DAGOGic  Study  of  Christ  Teaching  at 
Jacob's  WkIvL. 

(John  iv,  4-42.) 

One:  pupil  only  is  in  the  class,  and  there  is 
only  one  lesson.  The  meeting  was  accidental,  as 
men  would  view  it,  and  intense  bigotry  separates 
pupil  from  teacher.  A  very  wicked  Hfe  also,  still 
continued,  seems  an  insuperable  barrier  to  any 
good  result.  But  really  wonderful  results  follow 
the  lesson ;  the  one  scholar  is  not  only  saved,  but 
made  a  missionary  and  saves  many  others. 

How  is  it  done?  From  a  teacher's  critical 
view,  what  are  the  steps  of  tlie  instruction  the 
great  Teacher  gives? 

/.  He  asks  the  pupil  to  do  him  a  favor. 

It  is  the  ready  entrance  to  any  heart  to  request 
a  small  but  important  service.  It  is  more  blessed 
to  give  than  to  receive.  It  puts  the  pupil  into 
the  pleasant  attitude  of  a  benefactor  at  a  trifling 
cost  of  effort.  Teachers  less  familiar  with  human 
nature  think  they  can  win  by  themselves  doing 
a  favor  to  their  pupils;  but  this,  while  pleasing 
to  the  teacher,  is  uncomfortable  to  the  other.    It 

75 


76  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

was  the  genius  of  Jesus  which  put  the  pleasant 
feeling  on  the  other  side. 

The  wise  teacher  continues  to  put  himself 
under  obligations  to  his  class  by  asking  ever  larger 
favors,  but  still  not  irksome  nor  too  difficult  to 
grant.  He  thus  intensifies  the  pleasant  feeling 
with  which  the  class,  as  benefactors  to  him,  will 
ever  regard  him. 

Why  is  there  so  much  complaint  among  us  of 
base  ingratitude  of  those  we  have  helped  and 
loaded  with  benefits?  Why  do  we  wonder  that 
they  turn  from  us  so  readily;  that  they  say  so 
little  about  our  many  gifts  and  favors  ?  Saddest 
of  all  is  it  to  see  the  children  of  aged  parents  turn 
from  them,  though  those  parents  poured  good 
things  upon  them  from  childhood,  never  wanted 
anything  in  return,  and  were  always  giving,  giv- 
ing! Do  we  not  see  that  those  who  receive  are 
made  uncomfortable,  that  they  feel  humiliated, 
and  that  to  them  it  is  almost  a  necessity  for  self- 
respect  to  forget  the  gifts?  Christ's  first  act  of 
teaching  was  to  get  His  pupil  into  a  delighted  at- 
titude to  Him. 

//.  He  grants  a  stiil  more  pleasant  opportunity 
to  give  to  the  pupil. 

This  is  intellectual  outgiving.  By  so  much  as 
the  mind  is  loftier  and  more  wonderful  than  ma- 
terial things,  by  so  much  is  giving  information  to 
another  more  delightful  than  giving  money  or 
other  things.     So  He  who  could  speak  as  never 


AND  METHODS.  77 

man  spake,  and  who  could  make  men's  hearts 
burn  within  them  at  His  words,  now  permitted 
the  woman  to  talk,  to  ask  questions,  to  interrupt 
with  self-important  assertions.  But  all  this 
opened  her  heart  and  mind  to  what  He  had  to 
say  to  her.  And  it  gave  Him  the  measure  of  her 
mind  and  of  her  spiritual  nature.  To  let  her  talk 
was  making  the  diagnosis  of  her  religious  con- 
dition for  Him.  But,  above  all,  it  kept  her  in  the 
pleasant  attitude  so  vital  to  a  reception  of  the 
truth  He  had  for  her. 

The  pleasure  of  giving  in  contrast  with  re- 
ceiving is  intensified  many-fold  in  the  realm  of 
the  intellectual  life.  The  good  preacher  enjoys 
giving  an  hour  and  a  half's  discourse;  indeed, 
every  gesture  and  every  tone  of  his  voice  shows 
how  highly  he  enjoys  it;  but  his  audience  may 
have  enough  with  half  an  hour.  What  is  a  pop- 
ular definition  of  *'bore?"  One  who  loves  to 
talk  about  himself  to  you  when  you  would  like  to 
talk  to  him  about  yourself. 

///.  Christ  took  zvhat  interested  her  rather 
than  zvhat  might  more  especially  interest  Him. 

She  seemed  to  lead  the  conversation.  He 
brought  His  Gospel  into  her  world ;  but  how  won- 
derfully at  every  point  He  easily  brought  it  in! 
He  asks  for  the  material  water,  but  he  offers  the 
living  and  everlasting  draught  of  spiritual  re- 
freshing. He  hears  her  flippant  question,  an- 
swers it  with  a  flood  of  light  into  her  soul,  then 


78  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

helps  her  out  of  her  guilty  confusion  so  kindly. 
See  the  skill  of  leading  this  darkened  and  sinful 
soul  back  and  forth,  then  deeper  and  deeper  into 
the  truth,  until  He  had  brought  that  profound 
longing  down  in  her  nature,  beneath  all  its  de- 
pravity, for  the  Messiah  into  expression.  Then, 
in  what  must  have  been  a  moment  never  to  be 
forgotten  by  her,  He  looked  at  her  with  ineffable 
kindness,  and  with  thrilling  and  all-convincing 
directness  He  said,  "I  that  speak  unto  thee  am 
He." 

IV.  We  may  not  overlook  the  teaching  value 
of  getting  expression  of  her  religious  longings 
from  her  own  lips. 

Christ  puts  unusual  value  upon  expression  by 
man.  *'For  this  saying" — or,  as  we  would  phrase 
it,  "for  saying  this" — He  told  the  Syrophenician 
woman  He  would  heal  her  daughter.  Because 
she  confessed  Him  before  the  disciples  as  the 
object  of  her  remarkable  faith.  He  gave  her  what 
she  wanted.  Jesus  hinges  His  acknowledgment 
of  us  before  the  Father  upon  our  confession  of 
Him  before  men.  We  may  believe  this  is  not  an 
arbitrary  requirement,  but  a  psychological  and 
spiritual  necessity  to  real  fitness  for  heaven. 
Every  teacher  knows  that  expression  by  the  pupil 
is  necessary  to  complete  impression  by  the  teacher, 
and  who  can  tell  but  that  expression  of  our  faith 
before  men,  and  confession  of  our  love  to  Christ 
in  public,  are  essential  to  the  maturing  of  that 


AND  METHODS.  79 

faith  and  love?  In  experience  every  soul  knows 
what  a  strange  forward  leap  is  made  when  the 
confession  or  the  profession  of  faith  is  out. 

V.  Christ's  first  contact  with  a  Samaritan. 

We  have,  therefore,  also  an  illustration  of  how 
He  could  penetrate  national  and  religious  preju- 
dices. The  bitterness  of  these  feelings  between 
Jews  and  Samaritans  is  well  known.  How  did 
Jesus  overcome  the  woman's  hatred  and  suspicion 
of  the  Jew,  and  open  her  mind  and  heart  to  His 
message?  The  point  of  vital  difference  between 
the  two  religions  is  stated  by  her  to  be  what  it 
truly  was,  a  contention  as  to  whether  Mount  Geri- 
zim  or  Jerusalem  was  the  real  place  of  worship 
or  of  Divine  manifestation.  Now,  if  Jesus  had 
maintained  the  Jewish  side,  "J^^'^^alem  and  Jeru- 
salem only,"  the  woman  would  have  stood  im- 
movably for  Mt.  Gerizim.  But  He  gave  up  Jeru- 
salem, and  revealed  God  as  manifesting  Himself 
in  spirit  and  in  truth ;  that  is,  everywhere.  The 
prejudices  she  supposed  Him  to  hold  went  down, 
and  hers  fell  at  once.  The  principle  of  action  is 
that  when  we  can  find  the  higher  common  relig- 
ious ground,  prejudices  vanish  and  all  faiths  are 
one.  By  this  method  of  Christ  we  can  open  the 
hearts  of  Roman  Catholics.  Accentuate  the  deep 
Christian  truth  we  hold  in  common  with  them, 
and  they  are  attentive  and  open-hearted.  In  the 
same  way  the  wise  missionary  finds  beneath  the 
follies  and  depravities  of  paganism  a  common 


8o  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

Spiritual  truth,  and  immediately  all  hearts  are  ac- 
cessible. 

First,  then,  discover  our  own  prejudices.  We 
cling  to  some  as  Protestants,  as  Methodists,  as 
Americans.  Down  with  all  of  these,  and  the 
prejudices  of  the  other  side  collapse.  There  is  no 
sacrifice  of  truth  by  the  great  Teacher,  but  the 
discovery  of  a  deeper  truth,  in  this  method. 

Jesus  knew  the  Samaritan  as  a  type  of  char- 
acter, but  He  knew  also  the  force  of  individual- 
ity. But  the  type  is  larger  than  individuality  in 
most  people,  and  it  is  safe  to  approach  a  soul 
always  from  the  side  of  its  well-known  type. 
Then  we  may,  as  Christ  did,  diagnose  for  the 
individual  traits  and  temperament.  First  the 
racial,  the  sectional,  or  the  sectarian  must  be  met. 

VI.  We  see  Christ  reaching  the  unknozmv  by 
the  known. 

In  this  law  of  teaching  He  is  supreme.  It  is 
proof  of  the  thoroughness  of  His  knowledge  of 
the  spiritual  that  He  so  confidently  uses  the  natu- 
ral to  teach  it.  Water  leads  to  spiritual  grace, 
the  running,  bubbling  spring  to  the  living  inner 
supply,  and  so  throughout  all  His  conversation. 
It  is  a  prerequisite  to  power  in  teaching  by  illus- 
tration from  nature  that  we  know  the  spiritual 
truth  very  definitely  and  fully.  Then  we  shall 
know  what  it  is  like  in  material  things. 

VII.  Christ  shows  the  pozuer  of  a  fezv  zuell- 
chosen  words. 


AND  METHODS.  8 1 

At  every  point  He  had  just  the  penetrating 
and  comprehensive  utterance  that  sent  the  truth 
home.  Here  is  the  touch  of  the  Master  teacher 
throughout,  and  the  vahie  of  discriminating,  accu- 
rate, and  graphic  expression  of  truth. 

VUh  He  uses  the  element  of  surprise  effect- 
ively. 

Surprise  has  real  teaching  value  to  old  and 
young.  The  statements  Jesus  made  about  what 
He  could  give  the  woman  if  she  asked  Him  were 
in  the  realm  of  the  marvelous,  and  as  she  ques- 
tioned further  He  deepened  the  mystery.  Then, 
when  she  apparently  sneered  at  it,  He  showed  a 
greater  wonder  in  His  intimate  knowledge  of  her 
guilty  life.  Wonder  upon  wonder  rolled  upon 
her  until  it  was  all  explained  in  the  revelation 
of  His  Messiahship. 

The  Sunday-school  teacher  should  not  fear 
to  excite  wonder.  Show  the  wonders  of  God's 
works  in  nature,  the  wonders  of  man's  own  na- 
ture, the  world  upon  world  of  wonders  in  which 
we  live!  Lead  from  these,  as  Jesus  did,  to  the 
mysteries  of  grace  and  salvation.  A  mind  and 
heart  is  open-eyed  when  wonderful  things  are  set 
forth. 

Thus  the  model  Teacher  knocked  at  the  door 
of  a  bigoted  and  sinful  heart.  Thus  He  gained 
admission,  and,  entering,  put  His  own  passion 
for  souls  into  the  new  disciple.  For  she  left  her 
water-pot  and  ran  into  the  city  preaching  the 
6 


82  SLNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

new-found  Messiah  to  all  the  people;  and  they 
filled  the  valley,  as  they  came  to  Him,  until,  after 
a  few  days,  they  also  believed,  not  only  because 
of  her  word,  but  because  they  had  heard  and  seen 
Him  themselves,  and  knew  indeed  that  He  was 
the  Christ,  the  Savior  of  the  world. 


HOW  TO  CLEAR  UP  THE  TRUTH  TO 

PERPLEXED   AND    DOUBTING 

DISCIPLES. 

A  Pe;dagogic  Study  op'  Christ  Teaching  on 
THE  Way  to  Emmaus. 

(IvUke  xxiv,  13-32.) 

From  Christ's  position  as  Teacher  there  were 
two  questions  to  be  settled  to  determine  the  pre- 
cise method  of  teaching.  First,  who  were  these 
persons  walking  to  Emmaus,  or  what  was  their 
attitude  to  His  Gospel  ?  What  was  their  spiritual 
condition?  If  they  were  bigoted  and  sinful  like 
the  woman  of  Samaria,  there  would  have  been 
one  method  of  reaching  them ;  as  disciples  already, 
but  perplexed  and  in  despair,  a  very  different 
method  is  necessary. 

Secondly,  what  purpose  had  Christ  in  this  les- 
son He  gave  to  them?  It  was  not  primarily  to 
present  His  Gospel  or  Himself  to  them.  They 
were  believers,  or  had  been  until  the  strange 
events  of  His  crucifixion  had  swept  with  over- 
whelming doubts  over  them.  His  purpose,  there- 
fore, unquestionably  was  to  explain  these  events, 
and  clear  away  their  doubt  and  despair.  Not  so 
much  to  present  salvation  to  them,  nor  to  reveal 

83 


84  SUNDAY-SCHOOL    ORGANIZATION 

Himself,  but  to  present  the  truth  of  His  sacri- 
ficial death  and  glorious  resurrection. 

/.  It  zms  necessary  to  conceal  His  personality. 

This  was  a  situation  in  which  the  Word  of 
God  must  become  central  and  unobstructed.  It 
must  come  as  God's  message  only,  with  an  in- 
sistent ''Thus  saith  the  Lord."  This  sort  of  teach- 
ing should  be  the  rule  with  believers.  Not  what 
I,  the  teacher,  think  or  say ;  not  my  appeal  to  be 
holy  or  full  of  faith;  not  my  experience  now  of 
these  matters;  but,  entirely  hiding  myself,  the 
Lord's  message.  His  appeal,  and  the  power  of 
His  Word. 

A  teacher  of  little  skill,  coming  into  the  place 
Christ  then  occupied  as  He  met  these  sorrowing 
men,  would  instantly  have  relieved  their  trouble 
by  joyously  declaring,  "I  am  Jesus  !  I  have  really 
risen  from  the  dead !"  But  He  would  have  missed 
forever  that  unequaled  opportunity  of  exalting 
the  ancient  Scriptures.  After  revealing  Himself 
anything  He  might  say  about  the  prophets  or  the 
law  would  have  seemed  tame.  It  must  not  make 
any  difference  zvho  it  is  that  is  now  teaching  the 
Word.  The  Word  only  must  be  studied.  So  al- 
ways where  a  great  truth  is  paramount.  It  is 
impertinent  to  intrude  the  teacher's  or  the  preach- 
er's personality  or  to  exploit  his  notions. 

//.  But,  then,  above  all  is  shown  the  poz<i*er  of 
a  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures. 

Beginning  at  Moses  and  all  the  prophets,  He 


AND  METHODS.  85 

expounded  unto  them  In  all  •  the  Scriptures  the 
things  concerning  Himself.  He  traversed  the 
whole  course  of  Messianic  prophecy,  beginning 
doubtless  with  that  germ  of  the  whole  Gospel, 
the  promise  in  Eden,  and  giving  expositions  and 
fulfillment  step  by  step.  How  wonderful  the 
flow  of  that  thought  which  had  burned  in  Christ's 
heart  from  His  boyhood,  and  now  burned  in  the 
hearts  of  the  men  slowly  walking,  one  on  each 
side,  with  Him  to  the  little  village!  We  do  not 
have  that  discourse  preserved  to  us,  nor  any  con- 
siderable portion  of  Christ's  thinking  upon  Mes- 
sianic prophecy.  But  so  powerfully  did  the 
teaching  set  forth  the  Scriptures  that  never  once 
did  they  think  about  the  Teacher.  It  was  as  if  an 
impersonal  voice,  or  the  voice  of  one  wholly  in- 
visible, were  speaking  to  them  the  words  of  God. 
This  required  marvelous  self-control  by  the 
Teacher,  and  a  rich  and  accurate  knowledge  of 
the  Bible,  so  that,  without  hesitating  a  moment 
for  the  next  step,  and  without  feeling  for  a  mo- 
ment a  personal  pride  in  His  superior  knowl- 
edge— for  either  of  these  would  have  drawn  at- 
tention to  Himself — He  proceeded  to  the  door 
of  the  house  they  were  about  to  enter. 

There  they  looked  at  Him  for  a  moment,  but 
only  to  beg  He  would  abide  with  them,  and  they 
saw  Him  only  dimly  under  the  powerful  spell 
of  the  vision  of  God's  truth  He  had  unrolled  be- 
fore them. 


86  SUNDAY-SCHOOL    ORGANIZATION 

III.  Like  the  perfect  Teacher  He  is,  He  wisely 
mingled  their  recitation  zmth  His  instruction. 

They,  and  not  He,  related  the  events  which 
had  just  happened.  He  questioned  them  fully 
concerning  their  sorrow,  and  into  His  evidently 
sympathetic  ear  they  poured  the  wonderful  story. 
He  seemed  to  be  a  stranger  in  Jerusalem,  and 
wholly  unacquainted  with  these  events,  so  they 
told  Him  everything  in  fullest  details. 

What  was  His  purpose  as  a  Teacher  in  secur- 
ing this  recital  by  them?  To  make  it  stand  out 
in  utmost  clearness,  as  it  would  to  them  if  they 
exerted  themselves  mentally  to  conceive  it  most 
definitely  and  to  express  it  to  one  knowing  noth- 
ing of  these  things.  He  could  have  told  it  to  them 
immeasurably  better,  but  the  mental  activity  of 
giving  attention  is  far  less  than  that  required  to 
express  the  same  thing.  So,  as  a  Teacher,  He 
put  their  minds  into  most  intense  activity.  They 
recited  their  lesson  to  Him,  aroused  by  Him  in  a 
most  skillful  way. 

Then  to  this  course  of  events  they  gave  Him, 
He  fitted  the  prophecies  which  these  events  ful- 
filled. Thus  He  exhibits  the  due  balance  of  reci- 
tation and  instruction  which  produces  the  best 
result. 

IV.  Psychologically  He  awaited  the  azuaken- 
ing  interest  in  them  zvkich  would  afford  the  best 
opportunity  for  His  teaching. 

He  planned  to  have  them  review  the  whole 


AND  METHODS.  87 

matter  to  Him,  to  awaken  within  them  a  sort  of 
interest  they  then  lacked.  Their  sorrow  and  de- 
spair had  become  deadening  to  higher  thought. 
They  would  have  listened  quite  differently  to  His 
lesson  of  prophecy  if  He  had  at  once  started  upon 
it.  It  was  when  He  listened  to  all  their  recital 
without  at  all  feeling  their  sorrow,  and  aroused 
them  to  give  every  shocking  or  despairing  cir- 
cumstance, and  yet  saw  nothing  to  be  discouraged, 
that  they  opened  their  eyes  in  wonder  and  their 
hearts  very  eagerly  to  follow  His  triumphant 
march  through  the  Scriptures. 

So  many  of  us  teachers  prepare  ourselves,  but 
we  forget  that  it  is  equally  important  to  prepare 
our  scholars  before  we  give  the  truth.  We  pour 
it  in  upon  unawakened  souls,  rattle  away  warmly 
because  it  interests  us,  but  we  have  done  nothing 
to  make  it  interest  our  scholars. 

V .  But  now  the  time  had  come  when  He  might 
add  the  personal  factor  to  the  lesson. 

The  truth  had  been  nailed  fast,  and  it  would  be 
clinched  by  revealing  Himself.  But  note  how  it 
was  done — in  the  act  of  breaking  bread,  which, 
perhaps.  He  did  and  had  always  done  in  a  pecul- 
iarly beautiful  way,  they  saw  their  Master  for  a 
moment,  and  then  He  vanished  away.  His  w^ay 
of  breaking  bread,  how  it  would  recall  a  multi- 
tude of  wonderful  events,  all  of  them  strengthen- 
ing the  impression  His  teaching  had  made!     It 


S8  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

was  a  way  of  adding  His  personality  to  His  les- 
son as  remarkable  as  anything  that  had  occurred. 
The  counterpart  of  this  revelation  of  Christ 
after  His  Bible  lesson  is  in  our  addition  of  per- 
sonal experience  to  the  exposition  of  the  truth. 
Let  it  be  done  with  brevity,  skill,  and  concentrated 
power,  in  a  flash  if  possible,  as  Christ  revealed 
Himself  at  that  humble  supper  table  in  Emmaus. 


PSYCHOLOGY  IN  THE  PARABLE  OF 
THE  SOWER. 

A  Study  oi^  Matthew  XIIL 

The;  human  nature  which  is  included  in  the 
Parable  of  the  Sower  is  all  under  the  Gospel ;  let 
us  say,  all  more  or  less  in  attendants  upon  the 
Church  and  the  Sunday-school.  Indeed,  the 
whole  parable  may  not  unfairly  describe  a  real 
Sunday-school  class  and  the  results  of  the  teach- 
er's sowing  and  cultivating. 

Those  unreached  by  the  Word,  those  opposed 
to  the  Gospel,  and  the  utterly  unbelieving  are  the 
tares  of  the  next  parable ;  but  here  we  are  looking 
through  Christ's  eyes  entirely  upon  hearers  of  the 
Word.  This  constitutes  a  study  of  human  na- 
ture of  vital  importance. 

/.  We  can  not  hold,  as  is  usually  done,  that 
these  classes  of  hearers  are  unalterably  Hxed  in 
the  conditions  described. 

Character  tends  to  a  fixed  condition ;  but  it  Is 
a  hope  everywhere  inspired  by  the  Gospel  that 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  can  break  to  pieces 
the  hardest  nature  and  transform  the  worst  heart. 
The  wayside  is  trodden  very  hard,  but  there  are 
plowshares  of  truth  or  of  Providence  that  cut 

89 


90  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

through  it  and-  make  it  fertile  once  more;  the 
stone  beneath  the  thin  soil  is  great  and  hard,  but 
not  impossible  to  blast  to  pieces  or  to  remove; 
the  thorn-crowded  part  of  the  field  is  not  hope- 
less, for  God  has  many  workers  with  willing  hands 
to  remove  the  thorns,  or,  more  strictly.  He  can 
bring  to  bear  many  influences  that  will  make  room 
for  the  truth.  Doubtless  these  kinds  of  soil  will 
become  permanent  if  left  alone,  but  Sunday-school 
teachers  are  set  apart  not  to  let  things  alone.  The 
good  teacher  sees  in  the  hard  path,  the  shallow 
soil,  the  thorny  part,  an  exhortation  to  use  more 
skillful  means,  more  powerful  agencies,  to  break 
up  and  clear  away  obstacles  to  the  truth. 

//.  We  have  then,  more  probably,  an  exhibit 
of  the  character  of  the  obstacles  to  the  truth. 

Not  insuperable  obstacles,  but  very  real  and 
to  be  provided  for  in  our  methods  of  work  in 
teaching  the  Word  of  God. 

These  obstacles  here  mentioned  are  wholly  in 
the  scholar.  All  obstacles  finally  lodge  there,  of 
course.  But  the  very  character  of  these  descrip- 
tions shows  that  the  source  of  many  of  them  may 
be  the  teacher  who  is  unfaithful  or  careless.  He 
may  contribute  to  the  procession  which  tramples 
down  the  tenderness  the  heart  had  in  childhood. 
He  may  be  responsible  for  the  hardening  from 
beneath  which  produces  the  sadly  superficial  soul. 
He  may  sow  some  of  the  thorns  which  crowd  out 
the  wheat  he  also  tries  to  sow. 


AND  METHODS.  9I 

However,  this  story  Jesus  gives  us  shows  that 
finally  all  obstacles  get  into  the  scholar's  heart, 
whatever  their  origin.  And  it  is  there  we  now 
study  them. 

///.  First,  the  unresponsive  scholar. 

He  is  outwardly  hardened  to  the  truth.  He 
is  not  moved  by  it  in  any  perceptible  way,  does 
not  manifest  any  conviction  or  sympathy,  nor 
show  signs  of  yielding  to  it.  He  is  often  deeply 
interested  intellectually,  and  may  be  quite  regular 
in  attendance.  But  a  procession  of  evil  thoughts, 
sinful  plans  and  purposes,  Satanic  impulses, 
throng  his  soul.  Vile  companionships,  all  the 
more  hardening  because  some  of  them  are  out- 
wardly respectable,  vile  books,  vile  pictures  and 
theatricals,  and  foul  ideals  trample,  trample, 
trample  every  inch  of  tenderness  out  of  the  nature. 

And  there  are  things  hardening  which  are 
not  so  bad  morally.  That  merciless  selfishness 
which  is  so  sadly  common,  that  unholy  ambition 
for  mere  power,  that  insatiable  throng  of  thoughts 
and  feelings  entirely  without  God,  will  destroy 
receptivity  for  the  Gospel. 

Fortunately  the  wayside  does  not  harden  down 
very  deeply.  Just  beneath  may  be  rich  soil,  and 
this  is  the  teacher's  problem.  How  to  strike  into 
the  depths  beneath  the  hard  crust;  what  organ- 
izing of  the  lesson  truth  will  surprise,  cut  into 
more  deeply,  tear  up  the  hard-beaten  nature. 

Let  us  observe  the  keenness  of  Christ's  knowl- 


92  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

edge  of  human  nature  here.  This  is  a  soul  not 
hardened  from  within  so  much  as  from  without. 
It  is  a  type  easily  recognized.  Perhaps  in  environ- 
ment which  trampled  all  the  tenderness  down. 
Hardened,  not  because  He  willed  and  planned, 
but  because  He  was  wronged  thus  by  others. 

IV .  Secondly,  the  superficial  nature. 

He  also  is  hardened,  but  it  is  from  beneath, 
from  within.  Probably  the  history  of  this  nature 
is  that  He  ceased  to  use  the  depths  of  His  motives 
and  purposes,  and  these  depths  atrophied.  Deal- 
ing with  trivialities.  He  ruffled  only  the  surface  of 
things,  and  His  nature  became  superficial.  The 
profound  feelings  which  characterize  the  child- 
hood give  way  to  petty  foibles,  little  and  shallow 
emotions,  and  all  becomes  shallow.  This  nature 
is  easily  moved.  A  slight  inconvenience  makes 
Him  very  unhappy,  and  a  petty  pleasure  gives 
Him  great  delight. 

How  perplexing  to  the  Teacher  is  such  a  mem- 
ber of  His  class  !  What  can  be  done  ?  Again,  let 
us  note  the  keenness  of  Christ's  insight.  It  is  a 
stony  depth.  Only  the  most  heroic  and  almost 
terrific  measures  will  accomplish  any  change. 
How  wise  in  the  Master  not  to  permit  us  to  be 
misled  by  the  easy-going  acceptance  of  the  truth 
by  these  shallow  souls  !  Almost  immediately  they 
respond,  but  how  small  are  the  opposing  forces 
which  overthrow  these  souls !  Here  are  the 
chronic  backsliders  and  seekers  over  and  over. 


AND  METHODS.  93 

F'or  these  we  need  not  tenderness,  but  very  heroic 
measures,  while  always  manifestly  loving  them. 

V .  Thirdly,  the  preoccupied  soui. 

Even  the  young  people  of  our  Sunday-school 
classes  are  'Very  busy,"  "have  too  many  engage- 
ments to  come  to  Church  meetings,"  ''can  not 
really  find  time  for  Christian  work."  As  life  be- 
comes more  strenuous,  these  thorn-crowded  na- 
tures become  more  numerous,  and  are  found  at 
younger  stages  of  life.  What  are  these  cares  and 
riches  of  life?  Crowding,  ambitious  business 
cares,  large  plans  for  accumulating  money,  social 
engagements,  sports,  pleasures  of  life. 

Why  call  all  these  thorns?  Business  and  cer- 
tain social  engagements  are  not  sinful  in  them- 
selves; but  when  apart  from  serving  God  and 
crowding  upon  God's  service,  they  are  thorns, 
thorns !  They  have  no  outcome  of  real  joy  or 
satisfaction,  nor  of  lasting  good. 

VI.  Comprehensive  classification  of  hin- 
drances. 

These  three,  hardened  from  without,  atrophied 
from  beneath,  overcrowded  with  cares,  comprise 
all  the  types  of  human  nature  who  do  not  profit 
by  the  Gospel.  They  are  the  unresponsive,  the 
fickle,  the  purely  worldly  scholars.  To  ordinary 
effort  these  will  not  yield  any  fruit.  But  they  are 
the  opportunity  for  the  specially  trained  teacher ; 
for  the  man  of  power  in  the  Scriptures;  for  the 
teacher  filled  with  the  Spirit,  the  genuine  lover  of 


94  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

men.  To  him  some  of  these  unfavorable  char- 
acters will  yield,  and  be  regenerated  and  recon- 
structed. 

The  good  soil  varies  in  fruitfulness,  some 
thirty,  some  sixty,  and  some  an  hundred  fold. 
These  degrees  of  fruitfulness  may,  at  least  in  part, 
be  due  to  the  more  or  less  absence  of  the  hin- 
drances of  hardening,  thinness  of  soil,  or  over- 
crowding ;  in  some  part,  to  the  skill  and  power  of 
the  teacher.  The  seed  is  the  Word  of  God,  and 
is  always  perfect;  but  it  is  the  province  of  the 
teacher  to  select  how  much  and  what  of  that  seed 
to  plant  in  a  particular  soil,  and  by  the  wisdom 
of  this  selection  come  greater  and  greater  results. 


DIAGRAM  OF  THE  GRADED  SUNDAY- 
SCHOOL. 


The  Primary 
Department 


The 
Main  School 


1ST  Section — The  Cradle  i?o//— Under  three  years  of  age. 
2d   Section— 77z^  Beginners — From   three  to  six  years  of 

ag-e. 
3d  Section — The  Upper  Primary— Prom  six    to  eight  or 

nine  years  of  age. 


{Secondary 
Boys  and  Girls 
Junior 

i  Intermediate 
2d  Grade     X  Young  People 
\_or  Youth. 


From  about  nine  (or  eight) 
to  twelve  years  of  age. 

From  about  twelve  to  about 
fifteen  years  of  age. 


3d  Grade     -j  Senior 


The  Advanced 
School 


From  about  fifteen  years 
of  age  upward. 

Adults  studying  the  reg- 
ular U  n  i  f  o  r  m  Lessons, 
with  advanced  treatment, 
and  General  Parallel  I^es- 
sons  for  adults. 

Studying  regular  Uniform 
Ivessons,  and  also  a  Nor- 
mal Course.  Depart- 
ment composed  of  adults, 
but  bright  young  people 
of  eighteen  may  be  ad- 
mitted if  they  agree  to 
pursue  the  Normal 
Course,  say  of  three  years. 
Department  may  be  sub- 
divided into  three  sec- 
tions—ist  year,  ad  year, 
3d  year. 

[Both  divisions  oj  the  Advanced  School  meet  during  the  regular  session  of  the 
Sunday-school.) 

Composed  of  those  who  can  not  or  will  not  attend  the  reg- 
ular sessions  of  the  Sunday-school,  but  who  will  give 
thirty  minutes  a  week  to  the  study  of  the  regular  Un- 
iform Lessons. 


1ST  Division— ^rfw/^  Depart- 
ment 


2d  Division — Normal  Depart- 
ment 


The  Home 
Department 


The  Church 
Bible  Institute 

or 
Teacher-Train- 
ing Institute 


Meeting  some  day  or  evening  during  the  week. 
Composed  of  all  who  will  attend  or  will  pursue  the  course 

of  study. 
-  The  course  of  study  should  include  general  Biblical  study, 

the  principles  of  pedagogy,  and  other  matters  that  may 

be  specially  valuable  to  those  who  are  or  may  become 

Sunday-school  teachers. 


*  If  desired,  and  convenient  arrangements  can  be  made,  this  grade  may  be  made 
a  separate  department.  In  such  a  case  the  main  scliool  would  have  two  grades — the  First, 
or  Junior,  Grade  ;  and  the  Second,  or  Senior,  Grade. 


95 


A  STUDY  IN  STATISTICS  OF  ONE 
GREAT  DENOMINATION. 

[From  the  Sunday-school  Union  Manual.] 

A  Grand  Army. — The  grand  total  of  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Sunday-schools  for  1903  reaches 
32,706^  schools,  354,720  officers  and  teachers, 
2,806,337  scholars — a  vast  army  of  3,161,057. 

Increase. — This  is  a  gratifying  increase  of 
316  schools,  3,318  officers  and  teachers,  47,908 
scholars.  In  the  Home  Department  there  was  an 
extraordinary  increase  of  nearly  18  per  cent,  or 
18,138  new  readers  of  the  Sunday-school  lessons 
in  the  Home. 

Conversions. — A  great  number  of  conversions 
is  reported,  127,386.  The  record  upon  this  sub- 
ject, the  central  purpose  of  the  Sunday-school,  is 
full  of  inspiration  for  the  past  four  years:  Con- 
versions in  1900,  123,735;  in  1901,  127,540;  in 
1902,  130,729;  in  1903,  127,386.  This  brings  us 
to  a  wonderful  total  of  509,390,  or  more  than 
half  a  million  souls  brought  to  Christ  from  our 
Sunday-schools  during  the  quadrennium. 

Average  Attendance. — The  average  attend- 
ance of  the  Sunday-school  is  a  test  of  its  efficiency 
and  general  attractiveness.  It  is  very  encourag- 
ing, therefore,  to  see  that  the  increase  in  average 
96 


METHODS.  97 

attendance  is  61,834,  which  is  considerably  greater 
than  the  increase  in  total  membership,  which  is 
51,226.  The  percentage  of  average  attendance 
is  about  55.  This  ought  to  be  and  could  be  raised 
to  75  per  cent  by  a  strenuous  following  up  of  ab- 
sentees. Visits  and  letters  do  it  in  many  schools, 
and  who  can  measure  the  increase  in  usefulness 
and  power  of  our  Sunday-schools  if  this  larger 
attendance  became  general  ?  It  would  mean  half 
a  million  more  people  in  the  school  every  Sunday. 

Compared  with  the  Sunday-school  World. — 
The  total  Protestant  Church  membership  in  the 
United  States  is  now  about  19,250,000;  the  total 
Sunday-school  enrollment  is  about  14,000,000. 
This  gives  the  Sunday-school  about  73  per  cent 
as  many  as  the  Church  membership.  In  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  we  have  3,161,057 
Sunday-school  people  to  3,029,560  Church  mem- 
bers, making  the  proportion  in  favor  of  the  Sun- 
day-school of  104  per  cent  as  against  73  per  cent, 
the  average  of  Protestant  Churches  as  a  whole. 
We  have  thus  a  little  less  than  one-fourth  of  the 
total  Sunday-school  enrollment,  though  we  have 
less  than  one-sixth  of  the  Church  membership  of 
Protestantism  in  America. 

What  in  Some  Conferences. — This  is  encour- 
aging, but  the  achievements  of  some  single  Con- 
ferences show  how  much  better  is  possible.  The 
Newark  Conference  has  106  per  cent  compared 
with  its  Church  membership;  the  New  Jersey, 


98  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  ORGANIZATION 

1 10 ;  New  England,  1 1 1 ;  Central  Pennsylvania, 
113;  Wilmington,  119;  California,  121;  Genesee, 
123;  Baltimore,  123;  Philadelphia,  127;  Colorado, 
128;  Rock  River,  128;  Detroit,  130;  Northern 
Minnesota,  137;  East  Maine,  141;  East  German, 
145  ;  Puget  Sound,  148 ;  and  Dakota,  151.  Switz- 
erland is  still  far  ahead,  with  21,851  Sunday- 
school  people  to  9,000  Church  members,  a  propor- 
tion of  241  per  cent ! 

The  field  Outside. — Only  18  per  cent  or  less 
of  the  population  of  the  United  States  is  yet  in  the 
Sunday-school.  Some  entire  States  have  reached 
nearly  25  per  cent,  some  counties  60  per  cent,  and 
some  towns  as  high  as  80  per  cent  of  their  popu- 
lation in  their  Sunday-schools.  By  a  general 
movement  to  increase  our  members,  with  some  of 
the  energy  certain  schools  show,  we  could  add  one 
million  new  scholars  in  a  year.  If  every  three 
now  enrolled  would  only  bring  one  in  the  whole 
year  this  could  be  done. 

Marvels  of  Growth. — There  were  twenty-eight 
Sunday-schools  in  the  Church,  with  more  than  a 
thousand  total  membership  each,  in  1901 ;  there 
were  thirty-five  such  large  schools  in  the  Church 
in  1902;  and  the  number  has  now  increased  to 
forty-five  schools  of  more  than  one  thousand. 
The  growth  of  many  of  these  great  schools  is 
equally  remarkable.  Think  of  adding  325,  365, 
442,  450,  651,  750  in  a  single  year,  as  six  of  these 
schools  respectively  have  done!    Of  these  thou- 


AND  METHODS.  99 

sand  membership  schools  eight  are  m  Philadel- 
phia; seven  in  Brooklyn,  a  gain  of  one;  four  in 
Chicago,  a  gain  of  one ;  one  in  New  York ;  three 
in  Camden,  N.  J.,  a  gain  of  one.  The  rest  are  in 
smaller  cities.  Two  schools  are  beyond  two  thou- 
sand, and  one  beyond  three  thousand  enrollment. 
Two  of  these  large  schools — Bainbridge  Street, 
Philadelphia,  and  Sharp  Street,  Baltimore — are 
among  the  colored  people.  The  detailed  report 
for  the  present  year  will  be  found  specially  inter- 
esting. 

Christlike  Ideal  for  Growth. — Some  of  these 
great  Sunday-schools  are  working  to  reach  every 
man,  woman,  and  child  in  their  field ;  not  so  much 
to  increase  numbers  by  several  hundred,  but  to 
be  sure  that  not  one  soul  is  passed  by  without  the 
Gospel,  not  one  little  one  neglected.  They  have 
very  thorough  plans  for  going  out  into  every 
street  and  into  every  home  with  earnest  effort  to 
bring  them  in,  thus  realizing  the  Christlike  ideal 
to  "Go  preach  My  Gospel  to  every  creature,  teach- 
ing them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have 
commanded  you." 

There  is  a  great  surprise  in  our  foreign  mis- 
sion Sunday-schools.  Their  growth  during  the 
past  few  years  has  been  remarkable.  Here  is  a 
list  of  the  largest  Methodist  Episcopal  Sunday- 
schools  in  our  missions: 

First  Church,  Kristiania,  Norway 850  enrolled. 

Vejle,  Denmark 696        " 

Emanuel,  Gothenburg,  Sweden 661        *' 


lOO         SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

St.  Paul,  Stockholm,  Sweden 586  enrolled. 

Bethel,  Norkoping,  Sweden 582  " 

Foochow,  China 540  " 

Second  Church,  Berlin,  Germany 460  " 

Valparaiso,  Chili 441  " 

Calcutta  (English),  India 391  ** 

Upsala,  Sweden,  two  schools  together, 875  " 

In  Frederickstadt,  Norway,  there  is  a  Home 
Department  numbering  145  members. 

Our  Largest  Home  Department. — The  most 
rapid  growth  in  Sunday-school  work  continues  to 
be  in  that  providential  extension  of  Bible  study 
into  the  home,  the  Home  Department.  Surely 
nowhere  else  can  the  Sunday-school  do  a  work 
so  far-reaching!  A  Home  Department  number- 
ing one  hundred  and  fifty  readers,  and  vigorously 
maintained,  is  a  notable  achievement  in  any 
Church.  It  will  promote  home  co-operation  with 
Sunday-school  work  in  many  ways.  From  Con- 
ference statistics  and  later  direct  reports  we  have 
the  following  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  or 
over:  Central,  Wilkesbarre,  536;  Bushwick  Ave- 
nue, Brooklyn,  525;  First  Church,  Los  Angeles, 
426 ;  Lakeville,  N.  Y.,  403 ;  Washington,  la.,  360 ; 
Brazil,  Ind.,  300 ;  Motleys,  Va.,  300 ;  Wells  Island, 
N.  Y.,  285;  West  Washington,  Pa.,  274;  Park 
Avenue,  Somerville,  Mass.,  262;  Fremont  Street, 
Gloversville,  N.  Y.,  258 ;  Marietta,  O.,  245 ;  Boyle 
Heights,  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  235;  Elm  Park, 
Scranton,  230;  First  Church,  Sharon,  Pa.,  228; 
St.   Paul's,   Cedar  Rapids,   la.,  225;  Richmond 


AND  METHODS,  101 

Avenue,  Buffalo,  225;  South  Park  Avenue,  Chi- 
cago, 220;  Tabernacle,  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  212; 
First  Church,  Hutchinson,  Kan.,  210;  First 
Church,  Rock  Island,  111.,  200;  Factoryville,  Pa., 
200;  Sayre,  Pa.,  200;  First  Church,  Burlington, 
la.,  200;  Hanson  Place,  Brooklyn,  190;  First 
Church,  Warren,  O.,  189;  Carbondale,  Pa.,  186; 
First  Church,  Xenia,  O.,  185;  Grove  City,  Pa., 
185;  St.  John's,  Brooklyn,  185;  Philmont,  N.  Y., 
181 ;  Mason  City,  la.,  181 ;  Grace  Church,  Denver, 
Colo.,  180;  Epworth,  New  Castle,  Pa.,  180;  In- 
dependence Avenue,  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  175; 
Newton,  N.  J.,  175;  Simpson  Memorial,  Phila- 
delphia, 175. 

.  Great  Cradle  Rolls.— The  Cradle  Roll  is  not 
yet  officially  reported  in  the  Conference  Minutes. 
We  have,  therefore,  a  very  imperfect  list ;  but  by 
direct  report  to  the  Sunday-school  Union  we  know 
of  many  very  large  rolls  of  these  ''least  ones"  now 
recognized  as  belonging  to  Christ's  flock.  This  is 
the  true  "Infant  Class"  now,  and  the  shepherding 
of  the  smallest  children  goes  on  with  blessed  re- 
sults both  to  the  home  and  to  the  Sunday-school. 
Every  Sunday-school  ought  at  once,  whether 
large  or  small,  to  take  care  of  the  babies  in  its  field 
of  work.  Here  are  the  largest  Cradle  Rolls  we 
know  about  by  correspondence: 

First,  Brazil,  Ind 286  infants  enrolled. 

Central,  Wilkesbarre,  Pa 265        "  *' 

Bush  wick  Avenue,  Brookl3ai,  N.  Y 235        "  " 

Fremont  Street,  Gloversville,  N.  Y  ....  150        "  ** 


102         SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 


Bainbridge  Street,  Philadelphia,  Pa 150  infants  enrolled. 

First  Church,  Los  Angeles,  Cal 150 

Siloam,  Philadelphia,  Pa 148 

Elm  Park,  Scranton,  Pa 135 

Simpson  Memorial,  Philadelphia,  Pa, . .  125 

Centenary,  Newark,  N.J loi 

First  Church,  Canton,  O 100 

Kensington,  Philadelphia,  Pa 91 

Hanson  Place,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y 90 

Halsted  Street,  Chicago,  111 87 

First  Church,  Huntington,  Ind 75 

Epworth,  Marion,  0 75 

First  Church,  Elgin,  111 70 

First  Church,  Englewood,  Chicago,  111 . .  66 

Asbury,  Wilmington,  Del 62 

St.  James,  Chicago,  111 60 

North  Avenue,  Allegheny,  Pa 54 

First  Church,  Rochester,  N.  Y 53 

St.  John's,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y 51 

Janes,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y 50 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL  MEMBERSHIP  IN 
PROPORTION  TO  POPULATION. 

[Report  to  Denver  Convention,  1902.] 

In  A  Few  Great  States. 

In  California  and  Kentucky,  8  per  cent ;  in 
Minnesota,  1 1  per  cent ;  Massachusetts,  12 ;  Geor- 
gia, 13;  Colorado,  New  Hampshire,  14;  Illinois, 
Michigan,  New  York,  17;  Iowa,  Nebraska,  18; 
New  Jersey,  Vermont,  19;  Maryland,  Kansas, 
20;  North  Carolina,  Ohio,  Virginia,  21 ;  Indiana, 
Mississippi,  22 ;  Oregon,  Pennsylvania,  23 ;  Dela- 
ware, 25. 

Sunday- Schools  in  the  World,  1902. 

252,510  Sunday-schools;  2,388,449  teachers, 
23,049,009  scholars,  a  total  of  over  25,000,000. 
Great  Britain  has  53,590  schools,  704,955  teach- 
ers, 7,875,748  scholars;  Germany  has  7,131 
schools,  39,872  teachers,  814,175  scholars;  Aus- 
tralia, 7,458  schools,  54,670  teachers,  595,031 
scholars;  India  has  5,578  schools,  13,937  teachers, 
247,400  scholars. 

103 


164 


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THE  SUCCESS  OF  SOME  GREAT  SUN- 
DAY-SCHOOLS. 

Of  the  thirty-two  thousand  superintendents 
of  Methodist  Episcopal  Sunday-schools  more  than 
a  thousand  are  men  of  unusual  ability,  and  these 
thousand  leaders  are  experimenting  with  the  best 
plans  for  a  Sunday-school  successful  in  the  best 
sense  in  its  important  mission  in  the  Church. 
Some  of  these  superintendents  are  men  of  remark- 
able administrative  power,  trained  in  great  mer- 
cantile or  manufacturing  enterprises;  others  are 
men  of  rich  culture  received  in  colleges;  some  of 
them  professional  teachers,  who  bring  to  the 
Bible-school  their  fine  pedagogical  skill ;  nearly 
all  of  them  men  of  deep  spirituality  and  evangel- 
istic zeal.  We  may  expect  some  valuable  sug- 
gestions in  methods  from  these  schools  as  the 
field  workers  gather  them.  We  here  formulate 
a  few  of  these  helpful  points : 

Exalting  the  Bible. — There  are  many  Sunday- 
schools  which  have  a  Bible  in  every  scholar's  and 
teacher's  hands  every  Sunday.  To  induce  the 
boys  to  carry  Bibles  in  one  school  the  mothers 
sew  a  "Bible  pocket"  inside  their  coats  large 
enough  for  the  thin,  neat  edition  of  the  Bible 
that  school  has  adopted.  Another  school  urges 
io6 


METHODS.  107 

the  mother  or  father  to  present  the  Bible  to  the 
boy  or  girl.  Another  has  persuaded  the  scholars 
themselves  to  buy  and  own  their  Bibles.  One 
school  records  in  the  teacher's  report  the  fact  of 
having  a  Bible,  and  the  secretary's  report  sums 
up  this  item.  Many  schools  have  a  show  of  Bible 
at  the  opening  of  the  session.  No  mutilated  or 
unattractive  copies  of  the  Bible  should  be  used. 

Enlarging  the  Membership. — Sunday-schools 
now  feel  their  responsibility  to  get  in  every  per- 
son in  their  whole  parish.  One  great  school  di- 
vides its  field  among  seventy-five  men  and  women, 
and  makes  each  person  permanently  responsible 
for  his  or  her  "block."  Each  investigates  first  for 
all  Methodist  families  or  those  inclined  to  Meth- 
odist Churches ;  lays  siege  to  secure  every  person 
in  these  families  for  the  school;  and  calls  to  his 
aid  the  pastor,  the  deaconess,  and  the  superin- 
tendent, to  win  these  persons.  That  school  grows 
by  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  members  a  month. 
Another  school  in  a  town  of  ten  thousand  has 
nearly  two  thousand  in  membership,  with  278 
babies  on  its  Cradle  Roll.  Many  schools,  already 
large  in  numbers,  have  grown  wonderfully  in 
two  years.  Two  years  ago  there  were  28  schools 
in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  with  more 
than  one  thousand  enrolled,  last  year  there  were 
35  such  schools,  and  this  year  [1903]  45. 

Educational  Development. — Many  of  our  Sun- 
day-schools have  used  the  two  lessons  each  Sun- 


loS         SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

clay  for  many  years.  The  General  Bible  Lessons 
have  been  an  inspiration  to  them.  Some  of  their 
classes,  twelve  years  of  age,  pass  examinations 
upon  Bible  history  and  the  Methodist  Discipline 
''that  would  do  credit  to  preachers.''  In  other 
schools  there  is  an  eight,  in  some  a  ten  years' 
course,  of  General  Lessons  with  graduation.  Ex- 
aminations are  held  quarterly  and  yearly.  In  one 
school  there  is  a  "principal"  in  each  department 
who  has  special  charge  of  the  teaching  and  lesson 
development.  The  superintendent  in  that  school 
is  busy  with  enlarged  administrative  work.  One 
school,  having  a  large  supply  of  normal  trained 
teachers,  tried  the  plan  of  having  two  teachers 
in  every  class,  the  second  to  act  as  secretary,  as 
assistant  visitor,  and  as  substitute  when  the  main 
teacher  was  absent.  And  so  fine  is  the  sense  of 
personal  responsibility  in  that  school  that  no 
teacher  took  advantage  of  having  an  assistant  to 
shirk  any  duty. 

Training  the  Teachers. — Two  great  schools, 
at  least,  have  their  entire  teaching  force  to  con- 
sist of  normal  trained  teachers.  In  one  case  the 
local  Normal  Department  covers  three  years,  with 
strict  examinations,  and  this  school  has  an  over- 
supply  of  teachers.  The  most  successful  plan  now 
divides  into  two  normal  classes;  the  one  meeting 
during  the  week  to  improve  the  present  teaching 
force  by  our  Bible  Institute  or  some  other  course 
of  study ;  and  the  other  a  well-developed  Normal 


AND  METHODS.  I09 

Department  for  future  teachers,  meeting  during 
the  Sunday-school  hour.  This  department  is  fre- 
quently started  by  using  some  young  people's 
Bible  class,  or  adult  class,  as  the  nucleus,  and  then 
inviting  earnest  people  from  the  Church  to  join 
it  or  to  form  a  second  normal  class  in  the  depart- 
ment. 

Securing  Home  Co-operation. — The  Home 
Department  and  the  Cradle  Roll  are  of  phenom- 
enal growth,  and  serve  as  a  vital  bond  v^ith  the 
home.  Plans  of  visitation  are  adopted  by  some 
schools  with  success ;  writing  of  letters  is  system- 
atically done  in  others.  A  reception  by  the 
teachers  and  officers  to  all  the  parents  is  very 
successful.  One  school  laid  plans  far  in  advance, 
determined  to  have  every  parent  present,  sent 
written  invitations  to  all,  sent  messages  by  the 
children,  and  made  personal  calls  upon  doubtful 
ones  to  insure  their  presence.  They  had  a  sur- 
prising attendance,  served  light  refreshments,  pre- 
sented the  plans  of  the  school,  and  the  points 
where  they  desired  parents  to  co-operate.  It  was 
''the  best  thing  they  ever  did  for  their  school." 
Their  attendance  was  larger  and  more  regular, 
lessons  were  studied  at  home,  and  children  were 
led  to  Christ  in  large  numbers. 

Evangelistic  Success. — One  school  has  reap- 
ing days  twice  a  year.  The  earnest  superintend- 
ent notes  the  new  scholars  and  reaches  every  one 
of  them.     Another   school   worked   for  several 


no         SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ORGANIZATION 

weeks  up  to  Decision-day,  calling  the  teachers 
together  for  prayer  until  every  teacher  was  in 
line,  then  bringing  in  the  parents;  and  when  the 
public  effort  was  made,  every  unsaved  scholar 
present  to  the  number  of  about  two  hundred  ac- 
cepted Christ.  Some  are  meeting  every  new 
scholar  on  the  first  Sunday  he  comes  with  an 
appeal  to  come  to  Christ.  In  the  present  enthu- 
siasm for  better  educational  work  in  the  Sunday- 
school  it  is  inspiring  to  note  everywhere  an  even 
more  earnest  effort  to  have  every  one  saved. — 
Sunday-school  Union  Manual. 


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